Full Moon Blues
by Anotherjaneway
Summary: The gang of Station 51 loses sleep over a bizarre string of runs. The situation only worsens when the biggest disaster call of a lifetime pays a visit close to home.


This is a text version of the original still airing imaged, music soundtracked story.

Emergency Theater Live, Episode One

PROJECT PREMIERE

1. Full Moon Blues- Season One- Episode 1

Short summary- The gang of Station 51 loses sleep over a bizarre string of runs. The situation only worsens when the biggest disaster call of a lifetime pays a visit close to home.

****WARNING**** The long summary to come is very story spoiling and will take away plot surprises if you read it now before reading the longer story below it.

Decide now if you want to read this episode's detailed summary before doing so.

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Long Summary- 1. Full Moon Blues-

Johnny is stuck with a floor messing Bonnie in the bunkroom.  
The gang answers a dumpster fire and the squad gets stolen by drug users. Gage and DeSoto fuss over a sore throated Marco.  
An earthquake hits the station and collapses it. Cap is knocked out by falling debris, Marco's gassed in the kitchen from broken pipes and Johnny's buried under the hose tower and gets hand stabbed in the yard. The station gang gets quarantined in the middle of the disaster operations with Paramedic Craig Brice when Marco's discovered to have an ebola type retrovirus. Brackett and Squad 51 rescues a firefighter hit by a falling radio tower. A cure is found in the milk of flying fox bats by a team of CDC doctors from Atlanta flown in by the gang gets a calm period of rest after the station gets rebuilt.

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The Story Unfolds...

Season One, Episode One- Full Moon Blues..

Debut Launch : 15 November, 2002.

From: Jeff Seltun Date: Wed Oct 16, 2002 3:04 am Subject: The Dead of Night.  
It was 5 : 30 am, the slight scent of smoke lingered still in the station house from the engine and squad only a half hour returned from a fatal fire, and the drone of avenue traffic outside was ceaseless. A single light was flicked on at the writing desk in the bunk room.

"Gage! Do you mind!" Hank hollered.

Johnnie looked up, mortified, in rumpled t-shirt and run pants, one suspender fallen down over his arm.  
"*Cough* Sorry cap. Uh, just a sec, I gotta...uh.  
Gotta make a phone call.."

"Well hurry it up.." Chet mumbled even more grumpy then Cap was.

"Shh!!!" hissed someone who sounded suspiciously like Marco and Mike in tandem.

"Arff!!" Bonnie yapped in reply.

Roy jumped in his bed from his sound sleep at the noise and nap jerked awake, "HUhhhHH!  
Ohmygod..*sniff*  
ohhhh, it's the d*mned dog. Johnnie would you let her out? I'm too sleepy to...too sleepyyy toooo aaaa"

"Yeah, ok. I will, buddy. Right after making a phone call."

"Will you starting dialing already?!" Marco snapped,  
flipping over on his pillow and squinting in the light.  
He immediately buried his head under his pillow in a vain attempt to block out the idle unwelcome chitchat filling his bedspace. His voice sounded five octaves lower than normal and cracky.

"ok, yeah. Just hang on.. I gotta, gotta look up the number here." Johnnie said. "Marco.. You shoulda let me and Roy take a look at ya after that four alarm.  
You're really losing your voice man. A little O2 could fix--"

"Gage!!" Cap called out from behind another rusty brick partition.

"uh, what Cap? I was just helping out." Gage's smile twitched as he balanced the phone onto his ear while he dialed his number in the dim light he was trying to shield in vain.. "I am a paramedic after all. I mean it's my duty to be part of a team. To look out after the guys, 24/7 . Heh." he chuckled.

"Well, it's definitely 12/5 for me Gage. Shhh!" Chet groused.

"That goes for me too.." Mike added.

"Arff!!"

Johnny jilted in his chair when he heard the sound of pissing fill the air. "No! Bonnie no!!" and he dropped the phone on the desk in a dive to reach the Boston Yorky squatting in the middle of the linoleum floor. "Bad girl.. Baddd.." he hissed in a whisper.

Chet piped up sleepily, "What? That aimed at your date for refusing you yet again?"

Then the scent of a second Bonnie misdeed reached them all.

"Ahhggh."  
"Fah!!"  
"Gage! Clean it up NOW!"  
"Johnny,.. you should have hurried.."

John was on his hands and knees scrambling for a foot locker under the desktop which held a roll of papertowels. He flipped open the door and hastily snatched for it, all the while stammering apologies and short failed jokes under the guys angry barrage.

"Ow.! Ok. All right already.. " he said when a ballistic pillow from Marco nailed him across the butt.  
"I'm hurrying I'm hurrying. Just let me flush this..."  
and he hastened to the john with his steaming burden of towels.

Bonnie cheerfully followed him the whole way.

A brief peace reigned over the bunks except for the desklight and snores punctuated the air.

Then Johnny came back into the room, sat down in the wooden wheeling desk chair and picked up the black phone receiver again.

"Oh, no you don't.." Chet warned, loudly. "We've already lost the first five minutes of a long four days with no sleep."

"Get to BED!!" Cap roared.

"Groovy, Cap. Just what I was saying.."

Gage knew he'd pushed as far as he could get away with and reluctantly set the phone down again, his whole purpose of non sleeping going unfulfilled.

"Gage.. If you aren't under those covers in five seconds, I'm assigning you a month's tower detail!  
Five! Four! Three!!"

Gage shot out of the chair, slid on the floor in his boots in a dash for his cubicle.

"Gage! The light!" Marco rasped.

"Two!!"

Johnny belly slid across the floor to the light's plug and yanked it.

The room was plunged into total darkness.

Bonnie began to howl at the rising tension from her human family.

"Oh for Pete's sake, Johnny. Give her a snack.."  
Mike exclaimed.

"One!" Cap roared.

"Gotonebymybed!" Johnny squeaked as he dove, blind,  
into the air and landed on his mattress, the bed springs squealed from his impact about two seconds before--

"Zero!" Cap yelled. "Now not another peep outta you for the next hour and a half until dawn."

"Sorry C-"

"Ahahah..! NOT a single word." Cap seethed.

"Ok." came Johnny's soft meek answer.

"Gage!"

"Allright all right. Sorry. Geez,, I mean all I was trying to do was--"

"Hey Cap, should I zap him quiet with the defibrillator?" Roy suggested sleepily..

The gang erupted in giggles.

Johnny just snorted as he hushed and petted Bonnie quiet as she pranced on his bed while he stretched out under the sheets, begging him for the treat he held in his hand. Gage felt wet doggy tongue slime his finger and the bite of tiny teeth as she grabbed it from him.  
"Ow,, hey.." he whispered to the darkness.

Then a thought occurred to him. "Hey guys? Do you think I just reinforced her little accident by giving her a cookie like this?"

"Shut up!!" came five instant replies.

Then the klaxon alarm went off and the house lights kicked on automatically.

Dispatch issued the call and the gang were on their feet instantly.

The call was.

Photo- The station speaker grill

Photo- A spectacular night time fire at a warehouse with hoses spraying high.

***********************************

From: "Roxy Dee" Date: Wed Oct 16, 2002 4:14 am Subject: Rotten Luck

"Shut up!!" came five instant replies.

Then the klaxon alarm went off and the house lights kicked on automatically.  
Dispatch issued the call and the gang were on their feet instantly.

The call was....

"Station 51.. Dumpster Fire. 427 Supolveda Ave. Cross/Street Maple. 427 Supolveda Ave. Cross/street Maple. Time out 0540." came LA's run.

Chet struggled into his suspenders with a long suffering moan. "Oh, man. Gage. You're gonna pay big time for this.. I could of gotten to REM sleep."

"Yeah..?" John said sarcastically. "Well, you should be thanking me. If you hit REM you'd be too groggy to man a hose for our fourth dumpster fire." he said, rushing after the curly haired irishman.

Roy and John hit the squad and Cap got the garage door and thumbed the callback mike, "Station 51, KMG 365."

"Hey Cap!" Gage shouted over the loud rumble of the garage opening onto the street and the sounds of Stoker starting up the LaFrance and all the gang slamming their doors as they piled onto the Ward engine.

Cap looked over grumpily, flipping up his overcoat collar and tightening his helmet's chin strap. "What? Can't it wait, we're going on a run here..!"

"At least this one won't take long! That's only ten minutes away.." Gage said as Roy threw the truck into drive and peeled out of the garage top speed. The lurching almost gave Johnny whiplash.

Gage rolled up his passenger window and turned on DeSoto. "Hey Roy, what are you trying to do? Kill me? I was talking to Cap there.."

"You mean my defibrillator comment didn't sink in? I wasn't joking." Roy said, flipping on the sirens and lights. The dark streets filled with the sirens of Station 51 soon after and the boulevard ahead of them emptied of traffic. His face was almost pure iron.

Gage set a hand on his chin. "I don't believe you man. You're really angry, aren't you? I didn't make Bonnie crap all over the station intentionally. I was only trying to-"

"I know what you were trying to do, Johnnie.." Roy said, taking his eyes off their speeding route only in brief intervals to stab glares at his dark eyed partner. "It's just that sometimes you just don't think." He gripped the wheel tighter as Johnnie pointed out the next turn. "I don't suppose you get the fact that we've been on runs for four shifts straight. And on none of those nights have we gotten a stretch of sleep longer than an hour. I don't suppose that the term 'sleep deprived' has any meaning for you.."

Gage readjusted his helmet on tighter when Roy thunked over railroad tracks a little too fast and it jostled off his head. He fought with it for long seconds until he finally tossed it onto the seat in frustration, going bare headed despite the Code R.

Roy just glared at him, not saying much.

They arrived, engine and squad onto a seedy city block that was quiet, full of sleeping apartment buildings with black wrought iron fire escapes and one burning dumpster down a dead end alley.

Cap dragged himself out of the cab and viewed the sight of such an annoying type of fire with a groan. "Man.. Another one..How many does that make it Lopez? Four tonight?"

"Yeah.." Marco croaked in his throat. "One an hour since that four alarm.." he rasped in irritation.

Cap sighed "Ok, you and Stoker grab out an inch and a half, we'll have this washed in ten minutes. We gotta make sure that alley of junk hasn't sparked anything beyond that dumpster.."

"Right.." Lopez nodded. On his way past Johnny, he couldn't resist a longer than average accusing stare..

Johnny felt ganged up on. "What did I do? All I did was get up to call Lydia. And Marco, I still want to take a look at your throat when we're done here!.." he shouted after the rushing Marco.

Chet smiled. "Gage. You're not popular with him this week. Remember he remembers that he lost that bet with B Shift about how many times Bonnie messed on your bed."

"Very funny.." John said. "Go make yourself useful and pick those crates up over there and move them out of the way for us.."

Roy and Johnny saw Cap stand in the cab and report to LA that the incident was minor and that the station would be wrapping up in about twenty minutes.

Mike and Marco approached the blazing dumpster and tried to hook its lid shut with a fire crook to smother it, but the lid had been tied back against the chain link fence. "Oh, man. Had to be hard.." Mike growled.

Marco said to Stoker. "Gage put you in a bad mood too?" he said hoarsely.

"What?" Stoker said over the roar of the fanning inch and a half raising noisy steam from the belching dumpster as water began to suppress its flames.

Cap took a sniff and asked. "Stoker.. You smelling turpentine?"

A huge explosion ripped through the dumpster and it flipped end for end into the air straight up into the night sky and then down again..

"Look out!!" Cap shouted. Marco and Mike abandoned the hose and its high pressure water stream started bucking in the old newspapers and trash in the alley the moment they let go of its nozzle to run.

The dumpster narrowly missed pinning their feet from where they threw themselves down onto the ground and its red hot edge landed on the hose, severing it.

A hose burst drenched the entire gang in spitting ice cold water. Cap shouted from where he was standing and he barely managed to slam the engine cab door shut before the water got inside.  
"I don't believe this.. can we have any worse luck?"

Stoker got to the pumper and turned off the water so that a new hose could be drawn and filled.

A moan filled the silence.. from the ground where the dumpster had been.

"Wait a minute. Wait a minute! There's somebody over there..!" Roy shouted. John ran to the squad and flicked on the squad headlights to shine into the piles of junk in the alleyway.

As one the whole gang sifted through the garbage until....

----------------------------------

Photo- Roy and John in turnout in fog.

Photo- At night, firefighters battle a stack of burning pallets.

*  
From: "Clairissa Fox" Date: Wed Oct 16, 2002 12:38 pm Subject: Big Troubles..

A moan filled the silence.. from the ground where the dumpster had been.

"Wait a minute. Wait a minute! There's somebody over there..!" Roy shouted. John ran to the squad and flicked on the squad headlights to shine into the piles of junk in the alleyway.

As one the whole gang sifted through the garbage until....

"Hey I see a foot!" Marco said, thick with laryngitis.

"Where?" Mike said, shining his torch where Marco had pointed.

He saw Lopez digging in a pile of cardboard, and they all converged on the spot, flinging away water soggy debris when, another moan filled the air, this time, from another direction.

Cap was sharp. "Hey gang, fan out."

Meanwhile, Marco had located his foot, it was an old boot, rank with stale beer.  
"Oops not here.." he said.

The fog from the harbor began to spill into the alleyway, mingling with the smoke from the extinguished dumpster. Roy began to call out. "Hey mister! Can you hear me? L.A. County Fire Department. Keep talkin! We're trying to find you...."

Another cry, this time legible.. "Over here.. Help me.. I--."

Cap gestured to the left this time. "Hang on, I got my men searching for you right now. Keep making noise!" then he confided to Roy, "That's danged odd. How can someone that injured be in three places at the same time?"

"Don't know, Cap.."

Chet thrashed around with an old board, moving aside boxes, and bottles and half spilled steel trash cans, right down to the pavement when--

"Ahhhh...Stop!"

Kelly froze. "Guys, over here. He just reacted to what I was doing! But I can't see anything in this fog!"

Johnny, Roy, Mike, Marco, Cap, and Chet all ran to that area of the alley which seemed thick with rot,  
and refuge under their gloves. The stench was only made worse from the water the broken hose had sprayed all over. The headlights of the squad were uselessly muffled in the mist and Gage moved instinctively near Roy to have a reference point.

All their flashlights hit the back wall and the damp brick work there under another fire escape.

Gage erupted. "I can't believe we didn't find him!"  
and he whirled around.

Cap said, "All right, everybody. Back the way we came."

Just then, came the sound of a very familiar starter,  
and a motor of a truck roared to life. The ghostly headlights of the squad wavered. Gage noticed it right away.

"Hey! Hey!!" Gage yelled, running and leaping over crates and boxes. "Cap!! Someone's making off with the squad!!"

"What?!" came Hank's voice.

"The squad.. It's just been stolen!!"

All heads raised just in time to see the two beams of lights from the squad flip around in a high tailed spin as it made its get away.

Cap raised his HT. "L.A. Respond a police unit to our location. A carjacker has just made off with our rescue truck.."

##Ten Four, 51. Advising L.A.P.D to your incident.##

"I don't believe this..!" Johnny exclaimed. "Who would do something like that? We're on a victim search here..."

Marco suddenly gathered to the others with an old speaker rigged to a battery operated recorder in his hand. "How about a bunch of pranksters?" And his glove hit the play button. Trailing moans, just like the ones they had heard following the dumpster's explosion and the same cry Chet had heard, issued out of it.

"Oh, man.. we've been set up by drug addicts. Thought the address seemed familiar.." Gage groaned.  
"Isn't this the same neighborhood where the San Pedro gang hangs out?"

Roy stood leaning against an old hat rack.  
"Yep.. They must be after the pharmaceutical box."  
he said with a sigh.

"That tears it.." Cap said. "When the police get here, let THEM search for more of these planted recorders. I'm not wasting another minute on this.." he roared. "Why me? Why US!!" he said,  
marching away back towards the engine. His voice came floating back towards the gang. "John,  
next time you have the brilliant idea of using the headlamps. Close your door next time huh pal?"

Gage's face fell as he wiped off a trail of water running down his plastered hair left over from the wild hose. "Right.."

Chet said, "I wonder if they'll trash the squad.."

"Oh, Chet..." John said sarcastically moving over to Stoker to help them put the hoses, the good and the bad one, away.

A minute later, Vince and Martins pulled up, reds flashing. The burly officers ran out with their guns drawn into the air until they spied the bedraggled,  
soaked firefighters all lined up along the running board of the pumper.

One glance of the recorder and wires Cap tossed him and the way Gage was rubbing his face in frustration and weariness told him the immediate urgency was over.

Vince waved his junior man to holster his weapon and did the same. "Everyone all right?" he asked setting his hands onto his hips.

"We're fine. Anyone birdeye the squad yet?" Hank asked.

Vince shook his head. "Looks like he or she made a clean getaway. And it'll take a while to locate it too. The seafog's rolled in for the night.."

"Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll try to go for a joyride.." Chet said, wringing out his drenched overcoat around the rear hand bars of the pumper.

"Not likely.." Gage commented.  
"Listen, ah, Vince. Can you give us a ride to the station house? It's cold out here..

"Yeah.."

"Go on, fellas. " Hank said. "We'll meet you back there. No doubt Vince has a stack of paperwork for us to fill out for the police report.."

Roy and Johnny both grabbed blankets out of the engine's stokes cab to use as towels and a way to keep the squad car's seats dry for the trip back.

"Looks like a full moon.." Vince said as Roy,  
Johnny piled in the back of his car.

They waited for the engine to back away from the dirty alleyway. It headed off, silent reds turning off, leaving behind two more police cars which had arrived to begin setting up the crime scene.

Gage heard over his walkie talkie. "LA. This is engine 51. Mark Squad 51 out of service until further notice."

##10-4, 51..##

Johnny's head banged into the window frame as Vince drove them home, and he said closing his eyes. "Oh, man. If I had known this was going to happen, I'd have never made that phone call earlier Roy.."

"You had no way of knowing.. Just a bad run.  
That's all."

"Chalk up another bad one in about four days of bad. I'm beat.."

"We all are.." Roy said scratching his nose. "Just that time of year I guess."

Vince spoke up from where he was driving.  
"I know what you mean. The PD's been getting odd calls and pranks all week. Must be a conspiracy going on out there or something. But rest assured.  
The San Pedro gang's got h#ll to pay for this latest stunt of theirs. Grand theft auto is ten to twenty.  
No bail in this county for any with prior felonies."

"It is? Good.." Gage said closing his eyes again, his arms crossed together for warmth.

Roy had already taken off his sodden trenchcoat and had laid it on the floor behind the wire partition separating him and Vince. Then he too, nestled back and uncontrollably nodded off.

Vince drove a little more gently the rest of the way to the firehouse and Martins turned down their radio's volume a few notches.

--------------------------------------------------

Rampart General, was a madhouse.

Dixie McCall was in high gear, one trail of hair falling over her face as she delegated a sudden flood of incoming through her ward.

"What now?" she said of Station Eight's paramedic team with their burden..

"We've got a drug overdose.. Don't know where he managed to get it, but this guy's got all the ear marks of meperedine toxicity. Brackett's already ordered us to start Narcan. And we couldn't get in an NG tube. He's been convulsing too much."  
Gil replied.

"Oh, great. Treatment two.. Uh, Dr. Morton will be there in a sec right after he deals with another street gang type in with the same problem.."

Dixie was about to unwind for a few precious seconds mentally when Station 10 rolled in. They were working a full arrest. "What do you got?"

"Police were chasing this guy for stealing an LA county rescue squad. He didn't watch where he was running by the harbor, hit his head, and fell into the water.  
Took us over three minutes to fish him out."

"A squad? That explains everything. And from the way he's tattooed, I'll just bet he's related to the other five we've just received in house. Has the whole world gone crazy tonight?"

"Must be.."

"Treatment Two.. Interrupt Brackett's arm laceration.  
He's just making a row of stitches neat on another biker type. He can handle your man." Dixie said. She watched her orders being carried out and then got onto the red phone to staffing. "Yeah,  
This is McCall in Emergency. Could you send down a doctor to finish handling a minor laceration in Two? We've a code in. Thanks.." and she hung up the phone.

Dixie looked up and began to wonder when the night would ever end. "I hate full moons."

Dr. Early had saundered up to get from Dixie the next patient in from the barrio neighborhood.  
"Why? I think a full moon is romantic and very beautiful. " he said in his calm soothing way.

"Not when it's turning a street gang into a pack of wild maniacs, it's not. A bunch of them just made off with a rescue squad and they had a heyday with the paramedic's drug box."  
she groused.

"I know. I just pronounced one of them.." Early said, rubbing his hand.

Both nurse and doctor fell into a somber mood.

------------------------------------------------

Roy and Johnny and the rest of the gang were all nursing steaming cups of old coffee around the kitchen table. Only Martins seemed to have enough energy to play tug of war with Bonnie.

"And that should do it boys.." Vince said.  
"Your accounts here and the fact you finally located a tape recorder should put the last nail in the coffin on this gang's activity.

Gage winced. "Let's just hope its not for a real one Vince. I don't want to find out that anyone died here.. Thanks buddies.." he said,  
giving the two officers a small grin as they left the station.

Cap leaned back, already showered and in a clean uniform, from his chaise lounge.  
Bonnie came running over to tug at his shoes in play, but for once, Hank didn't shove her away. "I don't want to even know what Charlie found with the squad when the police called him out to tow it."

"Was it spray painted?" Chet asked.

"Don't know. Didn't you hear what I just said Kelly? I don't WANT to know. It's bad enough riding shotgun with another station's squad like we're going to have to do for the rest of the day..."

"Sorry Cap.." Chet said.

Marco suddenly set down the phone. "Hey everyone! My mama heard on the news about the squad being jacked and she and Mrs.  
Bandido have made us some breakfast burritos in sympathy. They're on their way now to drop them off."

"Hey hey.." everyone smiled and the kitchen burst into a more happier mood as the sound of a rich meal that was imminent cheered them.

Bonnie barked, abandoning Hank's shoestrings and ran around the table until she had her dish in mouth. She sat up, begging.

The whole gang laughed.

It was fifteen minutes later. The burritos had arrived,  
were utterly inhaled and the gang was now splayed out on chairs and couchs completely at ease with the world.

Then they heard the outer garage doors open and saw Charlie backing the rescue truck into its usual place with his tow truck.

Johnny gasped as he saw a peek of it through the kitchen door.

The gang left newpapers and chairs to gather round in the pullup garage in a cluster.

Roy opened up his mouth in shock and said.........

---------------------------------

Photo: Dixie on a red phone.

Photo : Cap crashed on a black chair.

*  
From: "ecrewgroupie" Date: Wed Oct 16, 2002 2:10 pm Subject: "Whew!"

Roy opened up his mouth in shock and said.........

"I can't believe it! Not a ding! Not a dent! Not a mark anywhere!"

"Whew!" his equally relieved partner exclaimed, as they finished circling their seemingly unscathed vehicle, "We really lucked out! Man! We gotta be more careful from now on, though. We may not be so lucky next time."

"Repeat after me, gentlemen..." Charley coaxed, as he came stomping stiffly up to the reckless pair. "There isn't going to BE a 'next time'!"

Squad 51's paramedics cringed and stood there looking like a couple of school boys being taken to task.

"I can't hear you..." Charley reminded the men, with a menacing glare.

"There isn't going to BE a 'next time'," the pair parroted and continued to avoid any contact with the angry mechanic's narrowed eyes.

Seemingly satisfied, the rescue truck's rescuer tossed their Captain the keys and began taking his leave. "Oh" he casually called back over his shoulder, "Before the two of you head off anywhere, you might wanna check out the side compartments..."

--------------------------------------------

No attachments.

*  
From: "Cory Anda" Date: Wed Oct 16, 2002 4:11 pm Subject: Helping Out

Seemingly satisfied, the rescue truck's rescuer tossed their Captain the keys and began taking his leave. "Oh" he casually called back over his shoulder, "Before the two of you head off anywhere, you might wanna check out the side compartments..."

Johnny and the others watched Charley depart with a little more fear for his seemingly prophetic comment upon leaving, then they usually had, of him.

Cap rubbed his nose, saundered over to a random door of the squad's flanks. And pulled.

California kelp oozed out of the repelling equipment compartment and onto his shoes into a noodled pile.

Bonnie started barking at it suspiciously.

Cap pursed his lips and said.  
"Chet, you start on clearing out this litter in here while Roy and John inventory what equipment we still got left.." Hank ordered.  
"Aww, cap.." Kelly protested.

"Aww, nothing. Tell me you know every single item in the paramedic inventory and I'll let you trade places with Gage and DeSoto.  
Do you? I'm not hearing anything......"

"uh,, not really Cap.." Chet mumbled.

"I rest my case. Now gentlemen. I suggest we get to work. I don't know about you but I'd rather burn some elbow grease getting our squad compartments here back in order than have station 8's here with Brice and company aboard like they're scheduled to be doing starting at 1300 if we can't be absolutely call ready by then. Catch my drift..?"

"Boy do we ever.." John said. "Brice might be coming here?"

"Yep. So get cracking.." Cap said, clapping his hands together and then he disappeared into his office to change shoes.  
"I want to squash that possibility before it ever happens. Kapesh..?" his voice floated out to them.

"Hey Cap, uh, I thought we were a team.  
You know, the all together in this kind of thing.."  
Gage hollered after him.. "You know. Working through the good and the baddd.." he hinted..

Cap closed his door soundly.

Roy peeled off a towel Chet threw into his face into one hand and he regarded Johnny thoughtfully.  
"You know, Johnny, you'd better ease up venting like that. Cap's a cap. And what he says, goes.."

"I know that. I know that.. But why does he always have rank and privilege pull for him whenever he feels like it should? Always seems to happen during the hardest shifts. Especially full moon ones like today's."

"Experience has its rewards Johnny. And bailing out at will just happens to be one of them associated with Captain's rank." Roy said with a small shy smile. "Come on, I'll haul out the gear boxes and O2 to check them and you can get the dressings and splints taken care of, all right..?"

Gage nodded and dejectedly followed him to the rear hatches of the trashed squad.  
Chet ducked when they opened those doors leading to the resuscitative apparatus, as beer cans poured out in a musical tumble onto the floor.

Bonnie grabbed one and started growling as she attempted to chew it up.

"Hey, give me that.." Gage said. "You'll break your teeth little girl.." and he traded slimy beercan for rawhide bone. "Here,  
take that.." he said. The toy he gave her was so big, it pulled the tiny dog's head to the floor and she had to tug with all her might to get to her customary spot under the engine to enjoy gnawing on it.

Roy dug out all the cans he had discovered, chuckling at Chet's overstrung nerves and got to the O2 equipment and dragged it out. "Well, thank heavens for small mercys. Looks like this apparatus is ok."

Johnny flipped open the drug box and found only air. "Not here. Figures.. All the unused syringes are gone too."

The IV and dressings boxes were untouched,  
but in the stokes, they found a dummy,  
stuffed with trash and wearing a sign saying,  
"Thanks for being the life of the party fireboys!"

Roy heard Marco coughing as he leaned over to scrub saltwater off the hood of the squad and he casually said. "Lopez, check out the resuscitator for me will you? Johnny and I need to get a list together for a reissue of supplies."  
And he motioned for Gage to follow him into the kitchen with the drug and IV boxes.

"All right.. " Lopez said, raspily.

From around a corner, Roy watched Marco check all the psi readings and visualize the tubing connectors and regulators and then he smiled as Marco did a draw check on the mask over his own face with flowing O2. Lopez smiled as the oxygen soothed his raw throat and he took a few more thinking no one else was watching him.

Johnny grinned, poking his partner in the ribs. "You crafty old.. You did that intentionally.."

"Course I did.. Did you think that Marco would have let either one of us get any where near that throat after the night we've had.."

"No..." Johnny said, shaking his head thoughtfully.

"Well there you go.. That 02 will give him relief and take away some of that inflammation of his.." Roy said, as he sat at the kitchen table to check out the conditions of all their IV solutions and setups.

John was considering Roy's angle of attack on Marco."Hey Roy., I think I can trick Lopez into drinking my mother's honey birch bark tea to coat that throat of his.."

"Not a chance.." Chet said making his way into the kitchen to dump out smeggy water from his bucket into the sink. "He's still sucking away out there and loving it, but ah,  
about him actually taking real medicine? Uh uh, Gage. Ain't gonna happen. Not in your lifetime."

"Oh, really." Gage grinned. "We got him on oxygen therapy without him catching onto us fussing . What makes you think I'll fail with doing more?"

Chet finishing filling his steel pail with hot water from the tap."Because Roy here is much better on the sly that you are Gage.  
If you try anything else, let HIM do it.."  
and he walked back towards the garage.  
"Or, if you two are really concerned about Marco's cough, you can tell Cap about it."

Johnny looked at Kelly as if the sky had fallen. "And ruin a great friendship?"

"Not to mention the direct tie to a wonderful pair of burrito chefs.." Roy quipped.

"That too.." Johnny nodded eagerly.  
"No way.. Chet. We're not going to resort to that.. Marco's not a baby. We'll just we'll just...uh, "

"Fuss over him.." Roy completed for his stammering partner.

"Yeah.."

"Ok, have it your way.." Kelly said.  
Then his head peeked around the corner and he added, "I'll let you know how long he uses the demand valve ."

"You do that.." Johnny said with firm concern.

-----------------------------------------

At Rampart, the fiasco with the San Pedro gang, had died down. Dixie, Joe, Mike Morton and Kel Brackett all sat around the nurses lounge table nursing colorfully etched coffee mugs.

None of them were saying much to each other.

Until Dixie took her hand away from her chin.  
"Hey Kel, How did that drowning fare? You know the one who stole the squad from the fire department."

"Didn't make it."

"Oh," she said, suddenly interested in the cream swirling in her mug. "Sorry.."

Joe piped up. "Two of the five aren't going home in body bags at least, Dix. They'll be facing trial for grandtheft auto and impeding official rescue service. Not to mention possession of narcotics."

"Ah." McCall said without much vigor.

Another long stretch of silence reigned. Until Mike said, "Hey guys. Did you know that it was 51 whose squad was trashed?"

Dix, Kel and Joe all erupted into reaction.

"No, I didn't know.."  
"Oh, my.. Those boys have seen their share of misery this week."  
"That's too bad. Anything we can do?" Joe added.

"I can see if I can swing some funds from the paramedic training program to cover their losses.." Brackett said.

Dixie added, "And I and the other nurses can plan a party for the whole gang, to cheer them up a little. How about this weekend? At my place?  
I've a great little veranda, and a pool."

"What a great idea. It'll take their minds off work for a while." Joe agreed.

"Then it's settled." Dixie grinned. "As soon as I get off shift, I'll start making plans..maybe even a surprise party angle will work.."

"Now wait a minute Dix." Kel interjected.  
"How do we know Roy and Johnny's crew haven't already made plans for the weekend?"

"Easy to check.." Dix smiled. "We have all the boys emergency phone numbers. We can call their friends, family and spouses to double check. I can do it."

"And I'll make the Beef Borgenon." Early piped up. "What are you going to do, Kel?"

"Wait a sec, I'm being dragged into this whole thing?"

Dixie's look could melt steel. "And why not?  
You should at least make an appearance as the head of Emergency Services-Rampart ; to show your appreciation for all the hard work your two best paramedics and their stationmates have done for us.. Especially this week. Kel, have you seen their run sheets? They been frought with fatalities..or else, it's those crazy dumpster fires.  
That's bound to be more than just a little frustrating don't you think?"

"Oh, all right. I guess I can bring a bottle of wine or two over for a few hours.." Brackett sighed, giving in to peer pressure.

"Well all right.." Dix said. "Now we have to come up with some entertainment."

Mike Morton said, "I can always bring my guitar.."

"You sing?" Joe said, almost spitting out his coffee. Brackett tossed him a napkin or two to clean up before the dribble reached his collar and white jacket.

"A little.." Morton said defensely crossing his arms. But his smile was mild as he regarded his colleagues. "I do a fair job."

"I sing too, doctor. " Dixie grinned. "And I'd be honored if you'd let me sit in on a few songs."

"Be my guest.."

"Then that's that.." Joe Early said.

Everyone took his cue and rose in their seats, eyeing the time running out for their mutual breaks.

"I'll let you know what time this Saturday boys.." Dixie said as they dispersed back into the hallway and to their own routines.

------------------------------------------

John looked up when he felt a tapping on his shoulder.

"A minute ten. Twenty two breaths Gage." Chet said, whispering around his newspaper at the table.

"What..?"

"That's how long and how often Marco connected with the O2 earlier man. You said you wanted to know.."

"Oh, yeah. Right. Thanks Chet. Seems to have worked. He's speaking more clearly and that cough of his has been less."

"One more assist in the bag.." Chet said happily secretive. "His mother will thank us for going through the trouble of fussing like this."

"His mother?"

"Yeah, she's the one who called Roy asking him to check out Marco yesterday night before we all went to bed."

"You actually talked to Rose Marie Lopez?"  
John said with amusement. "I don't even think I've ever met her.."

"Yes, sweet old thing. And we had a nice conversation too.." Chet said. "Seems Marco's in the market for moving out of the house and into an apartment for the two of them.."

"He is?" Roy said, munching on a bagel.  
"Money problems?"

"No, just getting closer to assisted care for his mother. She says she's getting on and would like someone to come in every so often to help her out so Marco can free up more of his time to live his own life.."

"She told you that?" Johnny asked,  
in a whisper.

"Yeah, man. Like I said, she's a sweet little old lady who'll talk your ear off just as much as she'll fill your stomach with food you can die for.." Kelly admitted.

"Oh. Maybe we should ah, should ..ah, help them out to find ...a place like that, Roy.." John said when Chet retreated back into his funnies section. "What do you think...?" he said uncomfortably rubbing a non existent ache in his neck.

"Johnny, don't even go there. You know how private Marco gets with his personal life. If we're having this much trouble getting him cared for following fires, what kind of trouble do you think we'll get into prying into his private affairs?" Roy asked reasonably.

"Well I don't know. I.. I just think we should help him, that's all.." Johnny grinned and frowned with no confidence..

"Uh huh.. Easier said than done buddy boy.." Roy said, and he turned back to his snack, trying not to catch an irresistable snooze that seemed to be creeping up on him in the background.

The noon day sun started streaming through the window onto the couch and Bonnie stretched out underneath it luxuriously lengthening her limbs and moaning with a contented whine.

Cap quieted her with affectionate scratches on her belly without looking around his incident reports.  
"Nice job all , on the squad. We're back in business."

Marco piped up from the water glass he was sipping gingerly. As yet, Johnny's herbal tea,  
was untouched. "Anything to keep Brice out of the station.." he quipped. Then he coughed a few times, clearing loosening phlegm from his chest.

Johnny and Roy both cocked an ear to hear how those noises had sounded. Then the two paramedics both pursed their lips in grins of success behind their newspaper pages. Things sounded way better for Lopez.

The phone rang and Captain Stanley rose to answer it. "LA County Fire Department. This is Captain Stanley... uh, huh.. " he said as he listened to his caller. "Uh,.. hang on.."

He turned to the other guys and said.....

-------------------------------

Photo- The luckless squad with equipment strewn about.

Photo- Black and White of the Gang in the Kitchen.

*  
From : Katherine Bird .uk Subject : [EmergencyTheaterLive] Big Brother.. Date : Fri, 18 Oct 2002 21:42:50 +0100 (BST) The phone rang and Captain Stanley rose to answer it. "LA County Fire Department. This is Captain Stanley... uh, huh.. " he said as he listened to his caller. "Uh,.. hang on.."

He turned to the other guys and said.....

"Gage,.. it's a Lydia Montegeaux, calling from San Bernadino, inside our district..."  
For some reason, Cap was beaming ear to ear.

Johnny shot up from his chair quickly to snatch the phone away from Cap to cover the receiver before the entire company erupted into cat calls and hoots and whistles.

"WHeeuuueeEEEeeee, way to go Gage."

"Is this that chick you were trying to call last night? Man she must be really hung on you Gage to call back after you didn't."

"Another date? Hey fellas, five dollars down he doesn't arrange dinner plans during this phonecall. Put your gatas where your boca is.."

"I'm in.." Mike said, pulling out his wallet and throwing down a crisp five where Marco was pointing on the table top vigorously.

Cap just threw up his hands. "You guys are relentless.. Now cut that out.. Give the man some privacy.."

They ignored Cap because he was still grinning and even Roy threw down a rumpled bill on top of Chet, Marco and Mike's.

John shot acid towards them all ,  
hunching over around the mouthpiece of the phone, turning his back towards the rest of the gang after hissing a few indignant warnings to them all to hush down. Then he completely changed his tone of voice.  
"Uh, Lydia, Hi sweety. *Smooch* I love you too. How's your arm today? Yeah?  
The doctors give you a big cast? Wow,  
I can just imagine. " he paused and his face beamed into a big smile as he slipped into a bonafide protective mode with his voice.

The guys piped down when they realized that Gage was talking to a little girl of all things. All their mouths hung open,  
then one by one, they all retrieved their betting money back thoughtfully as they more or less politely easedropped.

Mike started guessing. "Is this a kid you and Johnny had on a rescue?"

Roy shook his head and shrugged.

Chet said, "Cap, why didn't you tell us it was a little girl on the phone.."

"Because it was none of your business,  
Kelly, now was it..?" he said from around the sports page. "I tried to warn you all to respect Gage's privacy...."

Roy studied his now empty coffee cup and spun it around on its base in deep thought. "Yeah, that you did.."

Johnny turned around towards the table again and suddenly finger snapped for a pad of paper and a pen, his green one still on the wordfind he had been working on before the phone call.

All the guys hastily shot to their feet,  
to give the writing pad to him and his trusty pen..

"Give me that..." Johnny said, his voice's bite toned down, when he saw them kowtowing sheepishly to aid him because of their childish behavior a minute ago.

He shuffled phone receiver to one shoulder and a chin and said,  
"OK, I got something to write on Hon.  
What was that again? 414 Rural route 60, San Bernadino Iduhapi Campground Resort? Yeah, so that was where I was calling into last night . It's that camp you told me about where the counselors take you into the woods and stuff for hikes and then teach Braille.

Yes, that's right. You said your grandfather was sending you there this week.

Yeah, That's not too far away for me to come visit ya.. I'll be coming.  
Don't you worry..After all, I am your "Big Brother".." he grinned, and visibly melted as a very young voice warbled excitedly into his ear.

"And I'm sorry about not calling last night like we planned for your cabin's sleepover in the morning in time for sunrise show and tell. I sorta kinda got interrupted..." And he glared at the gang for the treatment he'd received last night trying to contact Lydia.

"Huh?  
No. no.. It's wasn't for a rescue. Just a.  
just a tiny garbage fire.. Heh. "  
and he laughed. "Yeah, there's a lota garbage in the city, that I'll admit.

Yeah, I got it all right here. Your address and everything. You're really close, just a few miles away up in the mountains.  
I'll write and send ya a care package for you and the other girls all right? Ok.  
I promise I'll come visit ya on my shift off,  
yeah, I'll bring my firehat. I promise.. Ok,  
gotta go. ..Bye bye Lydia.."

And he hung up, smiling to himself hugely as he made his way back over to the kitchen table.

The fellas were quiet, absorbing what they had overheard. Then Chet spoke up.

"She a niece or something, uh, Gage?"

"No..no. I.. I sort of volunteered for the Big Brother Program earlier this spring. Lydia's blind, and I got picked to be her sponsor for the summer. You know.. penpalling, picnics,  
that sort of thing. You see, Lydia's five and she requested a firefighter for her sponsor. heh. Guess she did that because her own father was one and passed on when she was three in a car accident...And, that's also, how she got blinded..." Johnny said.

Then he cleared his throat self consciously. "Well.. now that all your nosy curiosities are satisfied.. I think I'll get back to my puzzles.." he said with a final glare of challenge. He met none, only nods of understanding and warmth.

Chet spoke up again. "Wow, Gage, that's that's really something. Being a sponsor and all for her like that. I've heard of the Iduhapi retreat. That's in the heart of the San Bernadino Mountains, isn't it?"

"Yep. Halfway between us and Station Ten. Believe it or not, it was Brice who told me about the Big Brother program they had going with the camp. I mean, I couldn't look like a fool and not help out you know what I mean?. He called me about it this spring.."

Mike chuckled. "You mean you got suckered into volunteering because Brice was..."

Johnny felt pinned when that truth was revealed. He just rolled his eyes and contented himself with tightening his lips.

Marco coughed and said, finally sipping Johnny's special tea.. "Amigo, when are the two of you going to stop this one upmanship of yours.  
I mean. Even your paramedic re-cert scores were the same last month. I can just see it.  
Soon, you'll start donating to the same charities in higher and higher amounts just to see who'll top the other.."

"Yeah, well I draw the line there.. Brice is Brice is.. not my idea of a fastheld friend but there's station honor to uphold. Our station was the only one who wasn't involved with this Big Brother thing.. Couldn't let that stay that way.."

"Appreciate it, Gage.." Cap said. "McConike called about Station Ten's program and I was very very glad that you were already on the rosters. Only got a grunt of approval from the chief and no inspection dates."  
he said with relief..

"Glad to have obliged. I wash your back,  
and you wash m--, oh never mind Cap. I'm having fun. Lydia's something really special and I'm really glad I can be there for her.."

Roy smiled, getting up to fetch the coffee pot. "Want more coffee Johnny?" he said.

"Oh, no thanks." then he noticed Marco drinking his medicinal tea. "Hey Roy.  
He's doing it.." he said, holding up his puzzle page so Marco wouldn't hear him talking about him. "And Kelly here thought I wouldn't be able to get it by Lopez. Hehehe.. shows him a thing or two.."

Roy rubbed his forehead. "Yeah, well.  
As long as Marco's cough goes away I'm happy."

"Oh, it will. It will." Johnny said. "Between the two of us, we'll get him squared away."

Chet had over heard. "Yeah, that's until the next big fire un-does all that nice preventative work.."

"Shhst.." Gage said, knocking on wood.

Marco licked his lips, draining the last of his cup and set it down while he read the National Geographic article he was turned to.

Gage leaned in to Roy, "Hey Roy,  
think I should sneak over there and pour more tea for him?"

"Nah, don't over do it.. or he'll catch on.."

"You're right." Gage said.  
"We'll just keep an ear out like we've been doing.."

Roy said, "Ummmhmmm." from deep inside his article.

Johnny turned back to his puzzle with a good heart, smiling when the next word he found in his paper turned out to be .. 'samaritan.'

Bonnie barked when the clock struck one pm and the cuckoo popped out from over the couch, disturbing her nap.

All was quiet for the next half hour until....

---------------------------

Photo: Gage smiling like a proud papa.

Gif: A District map showing all firehouses in the Emergency show and their locations.

Photo: Johnny's fireman's hat.

************************** From : "Cassidy Meyers" Subject : [emergencytheaterlive] Bonnie's Bad Day Date : Mon, 21 Oct 2002 11:36:53 +0400

Bonnie barked when the clock struck one pm and the cuckoo popped out from over the couch, disturbing her nap.

All was quiet for the next half hour until....

Roy noticed something strange. It made him do a double take from his newspaper.  
::What th--?:: he thought.

Bonnie had left her couch and was cowering under it, trembling.

Roy nudged Johnny, who was deep into writing a pen pal letter to Lydia, the blind girl from his phone call, and he pointed Bonnie out without saying anything.

Gage immediately frowned. "Chet, did you go and do something stupid like yell at Bonnie over some infraction or anything?"

Kelly stopped working out with his hand held barbells on the exercise mat next to the mop cupboard. "What?Huh?" Then he noticed Bonnie laying low too.  
"I haven't moved from this mat buddy since your phone call. I'm innocent this time. Maybe she's mad at you. It's your bunk she chooses to use as territory marking post on occasion."

"Very funny.." Johnny said. He walked over and noticed Cap watching Bonnie too from his black recliner. "Cap, what do you make of it?"

"I don't know. Maybe she's sick or something.  
Her food's hardly touched. Why don't you two go check her out? You and Roy are the stationhouse paramedics here.." he said in a no nonsense tone of voice that was also an order and he arched an eyebrow before turning back to his stocks page.

Johnny began a protest, "Cap I..."

Hank briskly folded his paper to another page loud enough to drown out Gage's remark. Then he said, "Do I hear a little bird in here? Sounds like it's tweeting too hard or something.. Marco,  
why don't you go to the shed and open the main doors so it can get on its merry way.."

Chet sniggered and so did Marco and Mike.  
Roy just rolled his eyes at his long time partner and was the first one to get up out of his chair to amble over to where Bonnie was cowering under the couch beneath Marco's legs.

DeSoto knelt on his knees and peered into the darkness under the leather cushions.  
"Come here Bonnie.. Come on, girl. I just want to take a look at you.." he started baby talking when she picked up her muzzle from the floor and dipped her head at him,  
rising to her feet. "Yes, let me see you..."

The tiny Yorkie whined a bit, and timidly wagged her tail but came finally into his hands. Roy picked her up, scratching her head and sat on the couch with her.

Johnny sighed heavily and pushed back with a linoleum wood squeal in his kitchen chair and made a production of joining Roy with Bonnie.

The dog was just as shy but affectionate with Gage as she was with Roy and that puzzled both men when nothing seemed amiss with her physically. Johnny said, "Now, Cap. I've been down this doggy exam route before.  
There's nothing wrong with her that we can tell.."

"There must be Gage. Have you ever known Bonnie to cower and hide before??" Cap countered.

Chet piped up, "Not even after she's been using Gage's sheets as a latrine..."

The guys laughed.

Johnny glared at them. "Ok, all right you guys..So you've had good laugh off me.  
Now be quiet for a sec.."Then he lifted Bonnie's chin and went nose to nose with her. "Bonnie..Hey, I'm not annoyed at all here.. At least, not with you..." and he shot a look at Chet. "So what's your problem you little wriggling ball of fur?"

Bonnie whined again and licked his nose bashfully. Gage caught his breath and pulled away, wiping doggy kiss off.  
"Yeah,.. love you too.." and he got up again. "Listen, Cap, I don't know what her problem i--hey... I know, maybe she's sick of her food. You know, maybe she wants a change.."

"Yeah, a change like staying away from you, Gage.." Kelly said, unrelenting. "Why else would she be singling out your bunk and not anyone else's?"

Cap threw an "end of fun" look at Kelly and replied. "Worth a shot there,  
Gage. Why don't you try some of that bacon from the crisper. There's some left over in there from breakfast."

Mike said, "You mean, Marco didn't finish it all?"

Lopez vigorously shook his head.  
"My throat's still rawer than anything.  
I only wanted a few bites.."

"Ok. All right.." Johnny said holding up surrendering hands. "I'll bribe her,  
just like I do with the cookies at night to keep her from howling.."

Bonnie watched Johnny go to the frig,  
listening to his babytalk tempting,  
right up until the bacon was held under her trembling nose. Her whine cut off and she sneezed with tension, jumped off the couch and retreated underneath it once more.

The whole gang heard her whimpering start up all over again..

Johnny threw up his hands in resignation and shrugged. "I tried.." Then he looked at the bacon in his fingers and decided it looked pretty good so he dropped some of it into his mouth and the rest he slid under the couch with his foot.

Cap concluded. "Chalk it up to another Bonnie personality quirk. Michelle did say Bonnie would be very like her mother that way."

"Spitting image..." Gage grunted.

Roy said, still slumped quietly on the couch.  
"I don't know.. This Bonnie's got more class.  
When she has a bone, even Steger on B shift can't get it away from her."

"Heh. That's true.." Gage chuckled. Then he put his hands on his hips. "Why don't we just wait and see how she does for the rest of the day. If she's still off by shift change, we can just have them call the V-E-T later.."

From under the couch, Bonnie's soft, incessant whines shut up.

"Smart dog.." Marco said. "The old Bonnie never caught on to us spelling that word out l-.."

Right then the doorbell on the side entrance rang..

"Ah, it's the school kids.." Mike said, "They're here with their teacher to get a tour of the firehouse.."

"All right everyone.. Neaten up. Gage, tie your shoe.." Cap ordered. Gage lifted a knee and did so, losing his balance in his haste.

Then all stood as Mike led their guests into the kitchen.  
"Hello. Glad you could make it.. Everyone..this is Miss Cindy Thorne.. and these, running around us in figure eights, are seven students of hers from the Grover Middleland school.. " Stoker introduced.

A short pixie like blond in a scarlet red dress came through the door and took off her sunglasses. "Fireman Stoker. Nice to see you again.. I hope it's not too busy a day today for that tour we prearranged." she said, shaking the hand of the man she had only heard on the phone before.

"Not too busy.." Stoker grinned, letting go of her palm. "Glad you made it over. Traffic must have been a bear.."

And at the same time.. Gage spoke too.  
"No, no.. it's ok. In fact, we've done nothing much in the way of runs today.. except a few alley burns and a bunch of thugs who made off with the sq--" Johnny started up, but Roy nudged him subtly in the ribs in a hint. "Ah,..helped us get a lot of cleaning done today..."

Cindy stayed focused on Mike, the one fireman she knew and replied to his comment.  
"The usual. I had the school van take us over instead of using the bus. I parked it in the back lot, is that ok?"

"Sure.. that's fine. That's where we park our own cars.." Marco said.

"That's right.." Cap brightened eagerly. "We have uh, milk and cookies for the kids if you'd like after the tour... Fireman Lopez's mother brought some over with lunch just two hours ago..." he said thoroughly gentlemanly. All the gang's faces lit up when the kids excited laughter and chatter about being in a real station house brought back childhood memories of their own and they gathered around the happy throng of seven children.

"That's ok, captain. I made sure the kids had eaten before bringing them over. Last thing they need is more sugar. They're rowdy enough as it is.." the pretty teacher said as clusters of girls and boys ran in circles in a good natured tag game around them all.

"Ok.. uh, would you like to split up the kids and have my men take one or two each to show them around the firehouse?" Hank asked.

"That would be wonderful..Might work out better separating them like that. They can be a handful.." she laughed. " The kids were so excited about coming here for their annual field trip.."

"No problem.. They know to rejoin you immediately if the call tones go off for us?"

"Yes. We've rehearsed that just before coming here."

Chet picked two of the older boys and said,  
"Right, You and you. We get to play with the sirens first..Race ya!!" and the curly haired firemen with his two shadows headed off in a mad dash for the La France..

"Aww, man.." said one boy not picked,  
watching them go..

Roy picked him up. "We'll all get a turn.  
Just be patient there. What Fireman Kelly doesn't know is that MY group gets to wear the helmets first.... Who's coming....?"

"Me!! Me!!" came a girl's voice, a blond child dressed in blue and red.

"Ok, looks like we go with this young lady here all right..?.." he said, setting down the disappointed boy. Roy and his two children trundled off to the garage shed after Chet's group of two. "Marco, why don't you come with me?" his voice floated back. "We'll get out our two helmets from the squad.."

"Sure thing pal.." Lopez said, giving the elementary teacher a jaunty wave of departure. And he, too,  
disappeared through the kitchen door.

Johnny took two more girls, twins, to show them the hoses in the back yard so they could play man the hose by the old engine parked out back. His two children eagerly ran up to the antique and climbed on board it.

Cap saw where they were through the kitchen window and grinned when they all heard the brass bell go off as the two girls experimented..

Then he looked down at the final child, a very tiny boy with glasses, still holding his teacher's hand. He knelt by his side. "Hey son, why the long face? I'm the only fireman in this whole station house who's the captain.."

"Wow.." he said, eyes getting really big..

"Yeah, so it looks like you and me are the only ones left.. That means we get to do the best thing before any of the others.  
Mike's gonna stay back and chat with Miss Thorne here while we get to go do the tour.. Have you ever seen a dispatch radio before?"

Cindy, Cap and Mike all grinned, thoroughly captivated by the cute awed expression on the boy's face when he slowly shook his head from side to side in hushed anticipation.

Cap went on.."Well, I can let you talk to Sam, the man who calls out all the firemen everywhere to respond on rescues if you'd like.."

"Wow.. can I really do that?"

Cap winked at Cindy.. "It'll be the afternoon station's check.." he said aside.  
"Right this way.." Cap said, bending over and taking the herostunned boy's tiny hand into his own big one.

They disappeared out to the garage too,  
to the radio substation alcove by the big LA County map.

Stoker was left with Miss Thorne by the table "Well, have a seat. This may take a while. The gang gets pretty entertaining whenever school tours stop on by...."

"I can just imagine..." Cindy said.. as sirens and engine hoots and antique pumper bells filled the air punctuated by animated laughter from both children and firemen alike..

Then she heard a subtle whining that she hadn't noticed before because of her student's happy noises..... "Do you have a station dog around here, Mr. Stoker? I think I'm hearing one."

"Oh, yes, That's Bonnie. She's having an off day today. She just started carrying on about two minutes before you and the kids arrived.  
It's nothing. As far as we can tell there's nothing wrong with her. She's right there under the couch."

"Poor thing. She doesn't sound too happy right now at all. One would think that she was upset because of the kids.."

"oh, no, Miss Thorne. She's usually running around playing tag with them full throt--" Mike broke off his sentence when Bonnie's crying suddenly ceased abruptly.

A subtle low rumble rose from the ground and trembled into a great belching roar that slammed into their ears, shaking Station 51 up to the rafters .

Laughter turned to screams from the children as the full teeth of a sudden earthquake threw them to the ground whereever they were from truck or hose like paper dolls.

Out in the garage, the tremor burst open the main doors and they squealed in metal shrieks as they rose in their tracks until the fierce shuddering split them apart.

---------------

In the fire engine..Chet grabbed his two boys and shoved their heads down onto the floor as he himself ducked as the ceiling came down in the garage, lights, rafter,  
roof and all, on top of the LaFrance only narrowly missing Roy's side of the rescue squad.

-------------------

Roy had his two students under the squad,  
and all three were choking on dust from the walls and from the stove's ruptured gas line pouring from the darkened kitchen. He hugged the children's helmeted heads tightly to himself and started to pray..

-------------------

Cap shouted but couldn't be heard over the roar of violated earth moving beneath the foundations. He yanked his terrified student deeper into the comm's alcove and pushed him against the wall to cover him up with his own body as the garage roof caved in behind them over the engine and part of the squad.

-------------------

Simultaneously, out in the yard, Johnny managed to grab the two girls with him off the old engine and he brought them to the ground into the only open area away from the yard's brickwalls, before they swayed, disintegrated and collapsed around them.

In his worry for the girls, Gage,  
wasn't fast enough to get himself into the clear.

-  
Only twenty feet away, the kitchen was remaining intact, shaking and shuddering. Mike Stoker and Cindy crawled under the swaying, shifting table,  
with Cindy screaming all the while for the children at the top of her voice.

-  
Dust and tremendous destructive noise filled the air everywhere, for about a minute more, before silence fell over the place where six firemen, seven children and one teacher had been playing so joyfully a short time before.

***

***

Cars on the boulevard outside Station 51,  
skidded out of control and screeched brakes as their equilibrium was thrown off as the earthquake sputtered and writhed around them. Then an awful quiet fell over stopped traffic as people, one by one, staggered from their halted vehicles.

One driver looked up and couldn't believe his eyes. The firehouse he normally drove by everyday, had its garage collapsed down on top of its rescue squad and engine until only its outer walls were standing.

"Oh my god..!" he said, "The crew must still in there!" and he and others rushed forward,  
but the earthquake had sent the water from burst hydrant out front, high into the air and smothering clouds of dirt and dust kept them from getting closer to the partially downed firehouse.

From inside.. There was no sound coming at all until the tones for the California EBS system began to issue from the place the dazed auto driver knew was the station's radio alcove.

A dispatcher's voice took up a new note of urgency when his board showed one base station horribly dark off his channel monitor.  
##Station 51. Topological Survey reports a Richter Scale Class ground tremor in your vicinity. What's your comm and station status? ...Station 51, This is LA. Respond....##

Outside, the disbelieving driver didn't know if there was anyone still left alive in the rubble he was seeing to answer the call...

-----------------------------

Photo : A very cute Bonnie wearing a red bow.

Photo : The Station with both doors open, getting a tour with kids in the yard.

Photo : A pile of red tumbled bricks in close up.

Photo : A crushed fire engine.

Photo : Station 51's block, levelled by an earthquake.  
Avenue and power lines in front are intact.

Gif : The Emergency! title in red.

Gif : An Earthquake alert symbol and icon in red and black.

Audio : The disaster all call speaker tones, for four alarm call.

From : "patti keiper" Subject : [EmergencyTheaterLive] Aftermath Date : Mon, 21 Oct 2002 19:54:57 +0000 ##Station 51. Topological Survey reports a Richter Scale Class ground tremor in your vicinity. What's your comm and station status? ...Station 51, This is LA. Respond....##

In the blackness, the boy with glasses looked up. He could see a yellow light flashing on the radio over his head and could hear the dispatcher speaking.

He was crying steadily in small sobs from where he sat up against the brick wall, and he looked out into the daylit ruins of the garage. A steady cloud of water misted from the shattered hydrant by the street into the bay and cleared away some of the worst of the dust.

##Station 51. Transmit HT as an alternative. All bands have been cleared for you. This is L.A.. Respond....##

The boy looked down.  
Next to him on the ground was the fireman who said he was captain for the others. He was lying on his stomach and not moving. Remembering what his mother taught him about helping people,  
he got up, pushing wood chards and debris off of himself, he quickly snatched the microphone off its spigot and held it to his mouth. He knew about CB radios because his dad had one.  
"Mister... I'm in the fire house! The roof came down and I can't wake the captain fire chief.... Hurry!.." he sniffed, very frightened.

Around him, rising warm wind from the outside and sounds of frightened people on the avenue filtered in to him.

Gasping, the boy could see another foot underneath the red vehicle in front of him. It was Susie, his friend's, and it was starting to move as if someone were pulling her.

There was a long pause as L.A. checked to be sure things were switched to a one to one frequency. Then..Sam's voice came back on the air.##Son. Understood. I've got help coming. It's on the way. ##

Robbie could hear multiple call signs going out on the air behind the man's voice. All he could think about was that it was alot of numbers. 8, 10, 127 ,36, Batallion 14.  
He started to memorize them in his shock but the dispatcher man's voice dragged back his attention..

##What's your name?##

"R-Robbie.. my teacher's name is Miss Thorne.. We were here on a tour of the firehouse. "

##All right Robbie..There's been an earthquake and that's why things are fallen down. Do you think your fireman Captain Stanley, is still alive? ## Sam asked.

"Yes.." Robbie replied. "He's making noises."

#Good. How many besides your teacher were with you..?##

"Seven, sir.."

##Ok. Now, I want you to get out of there if you can. Can you see the daylight from the main doors. Are they open?##

"Y-yeah. But its hard to see... The fire hydrant's on and there's a funny smell in here.."

Sam was side keying a dispatch to the gas company to shut off service to that block with one hand. He turned back to his microphone to Robbie, still inside the shattered fire station. Already, he was getting citizen's reports about further damage to the building next to Station 51 and minor reports of some more in nearby warehouses. But none were as bad as those coming in about the station house.  
#Robbie. Drop the microphone and leave. It's not safe for you to stay. Don't worry about your teacher and other classmates.  
There are more fireman and police on the way who'll take care of them. Now go.##

L.A. heard the line disconnect as the child dropped the radio mike.

Sobbing.. Robbie, gave one last look at Cap, who was moaning as he started to awaken, and crawled over him and over brick piles and sections of the ceiling rafters.  
He made his way through the spraying water from the ruptured water line and safely outside the collapsed garage.

Sam switched to Station 51's HT frequency and started hailing. ##Station 51. This is L.A. monitoring on handheld frequencies bands. Your situation is noted and assistance is on the way...Gas company has been notified....Station 51, do you copy?##

==========================

Once Robbie was outside, the auto driver who had stopped earlier, snatched him up.  
"Are you all right son? Where were you?"  
He cast his eyes on the still dusting, smoking debris of the main garage. He couldn't see where the boy had come from at all.

"I was in there..on a field trip..But I talked to the radio dispatcher man and he has other fire engines coming!" But then the situation proved too much and the tiny boy fainted in the man's arms.

The group of people from the avenue gave shouts of dismay as the man lowered the boy to the cracked concrete of the boulevard to make sure he was all right. No one had the presence of mind to go into the firehouse, distracted because of their concern for the pale boy.

Roy coughed and looked over his shoulder just in time to see Robbie safely getting out.  
His arms were full of two weeping little kids,  
still in their tour helmets. Marco, was nowhere to be seen. ::He was right here next to us...:: Roy thought, peering around in urgency.

Overhead, he could hear the actions L.A.  
was taking to aid them all. He snatched up a handy talkie from inside the squad's shattered driver's window when the squad door didn't open. "L.A., This is Squad 51.. Still here. Stand by. I gotta get some of these children out..Will advise once I know more." Roy could almost hear the sound of audible relief in Sam's voice.

##10-4, 51. ETA of responding units is four minutes..##

Already, Roy could hear PD sirens growing in the distance as they wove around scattered stopped vehicles on the boulevard.

Roy wiped away blood from his forehead and he shouted, "Cap!!"

"Ughhh..h.." came a moan from his left.

Roy turned to the boy and girl, gripping their arms. "Now did you see where that little boy just went? He was getting out to safety.. Now I want you to follow him.."

"We don't want to leave you..."  
one of them cried.

"It's ok to be scared. But there are people out there who are going to be able help you better than I can in here. You're going to be fine.. I'll show you exactly where to crawl out.." Roy gasped.

He lifted them over sections of the roof and winced as cold hydrant water covered them all. ::At least a fire can't start in here.:: He glanced down where he saw Cap struggling to sit but Cap waved him on even as he held his sore head.

"Go DeSoto.. Finish what you're doing.. I'm ok.." Hank said. "I'm not going to go anywhere until you're with me.."

"All right.. Here, Cap.." and Roy tossed him the HT he had retrieved. He started shouting even as he picked up each child and watched them go through the tangle of metal garage door sheeting to the street. "Marco! Chet! Answer me!"

A blast of an air horn from the engine under the worst of the debris pile cut through the hiss of spouting water and Roy smiled. ::Chester B, am I glad to hear you. You must've gotten your boys into the cab all right..::

Roy saw drivers intercept his tour kids even as they clustered around the first little boy lying in the street who was already waking up from his faint.

DeSoto leaned heavily on the garage frame for only a moment before he went back towards the squad. Only half of it was buried. He touched Cap on the arm, who had staggered to his feet to hang onto the squad's mirror.  
"You better?" he asked as he pulled the passenger side door open for the paramedic helmets there and got out the two turnout coats from the side compartment he could reach. He handed Johnny's to Cap to wear and put on his own.

"Yeah, I think so. I think a board hit me in the head when I pushed the boy out of the way..." he gasped, catching his breath.. "I heard Kelly's blast just now. Any sign of Lopez?"

Roy shook his head. "Not yet."  
Then he thought of something else.  
"Mike!!" And he yelled to the kitchen which was now dark. A part of the roof outside had fallen over the window, blocking out the sunlight.

The smell of gas was very strong when they both got there to where the door was partially jammed open. Looking through the cracked glass window in the door, they saw a pair of legs on the floor.  
Lopez's...

"Marco?!!"  
Roy started to push on the door,  
trying to break it out of its jammed frame.

"No, you need an air bottle in there. Go!" Cap said, pulling him away.

Roy ran back to the squad, shoving and kicking away debris to get to the right store compartment. He got on his tank in record time. He was back at the kitchen entryway when Cap finally got the door open with a crowbar.

Hank coughed as a wall of gas boiled out over him. "Get him out first.  
Then go back for Stoker and the woman.." Cap ordered Roy as DeSoto put on his face mask and reset his helmet over it..

A small form shot out from under their feet, from the darkness, yelping.. It was Bonnie.  
She disappeared through a crack leading to the backyard as if on a mission..

Roy sighed in relief.. "Bonnie's alive.  
Gas can't be too bad in there.." he shouted through his face plexiglass.

He got to Marco and grabbed him by the shoulders. Even as Roy did so,  
he shouted. "Mike!! Miss Thorne!!?"

He couldn't see anything at first as his retinas still burned with sun dazzle.. But then he saw that the side door had been chopped down with an axe and opened and he caught a brief glimpse of Stoker carrying out Miss Thorne into the only direction he could, into the backyard.. She seemed out cold and he seemed to be hurrying more than just because of the gas danger. ::She must be worse off than Marco if Stoker left him behind.:: Roy thought.

Then Cap's HT crackled as Roy finished dragging Marco out near where outside air was pouring through the children's escape hole washing away the gas fumes. Roy listened to a new incoming voice even as he watched Cap get Marco's airway secure for a listening check.

It was Chet.  
##I'm ok, and two twin girls and the boys who were with me. We're out in the yard! I don't see Gage. But I think I know where he is.. Bonnie's digging through a brick pile..## came Kelly's voice. ##The woman's respiratory arrested. Stoker's working on her now.##

Roy pulled off his mask and tank and snatched up the HT Cap had left on Marco's stomach. ##We hear you Chet. Hang on.  
Marco's unconscious, too. Let us get a handle on his situation and we'll be right there! We got the rest of the kids out. L.A.'s on the ball and the gas is getting shut off..## He heard the sirens from the approaching police car arrive and shut down. Very soon,  
Roy heard someone climbing over the debris in the driveway and a face peered into the place in the torn main doors where the children had gotten out.

It was Vince. "You boys ok in there!  
Everyone's fine out here by the road!"

Roy shouted from his place by Cap and Marco, talkie still in hand and to his ear, listening to Chet's continuing report even while he shouted at Vince.  
"Go to the yard Vince.!.. Johnny's trapped and Stoker and Chet's got an arrest victim.. We'll get out there with the gear soon as we can..Marco needs us right now."  
He ducked when Vince's body weight and movement jarred tilted rafters and made plaster pieces fall onto the three of them as he hastened to go where directed.

Roy glanced back down to Marco, removing his overcoat.  
"Cap, is he still breathing?"

--------------------------

Photo: Cap outside in a closeup.

*Animated gif* Flames, burning low.

Photo : The Gang in the station garage bay around the squad and engine.

Photo : Close up of the Squad's gearboxes in their storage racks.

Gif: The word "quick" in melted and burning metal, wafting smoke.

Photo : Closeup of Roy outside, wearing a stethoscope.

Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2002 23:37:20 -0700 (PDT) From: "Patti Keiper" Subject: Digging by Daylight..

"Go to the yard Vince.!.. Johnny's trapped and Stoker and Chet's got an arrest victim.. We'll get out there with the gear soon as we can..Marco needs us right now."  
He ducked when Vince's body weight and movement jarred tilted rafters and made plaster pieces fall onto the three of them as he hastened to go where directed.

Roy glanced back down to Marco, removing his overcoat.  
"Cap, is he still breathing?"

Hank looked up. "Barely. He's gonna need O2 and I think something else is wrong with him. He feels awfully hot to me."

"Yeah well, we gotta get him out of here first. Who knows when the gas company will get L.A's stop order. This earthquake might have given them higher priorities.." Roy said. "Last thing we need is 100 % O2 mixing with all the fumes in here."

"Hey..Knock it off, t-that's my line." Cap quipped.

Roy grinned, which levelled, as he concentrated on a quick assessment of Marco's condition.  
He got a grip on Lopez's carotid, and paused as he got an initial breathing rate visually.  
"Marco's doing well enough for an evac,  
Cap.. Watch him a sec. I'm going to see if I can free up a stokes for him and the resuscitator. Stoker's gonna need it if that school teacher's down too deep."

"I remember hearing about her.."  
Cap shook his head, trying to clear it.  
"Yeah. That's right..S-Sounds like a plan.."

Roy looked up at Cap. "Hey. You all right to be alone for a bit? You still look groggy."

"It's nothing. I'm only a little woozy.  
Go.." he said, meeting Roy's eyes evenly with his own to show the truth in his words.

DeSoto studied Cap for a moment but was finally convinced. He ran.

He got to where the squad's rear compartment was and started to lift off rafter beams and ceiling pieces until he got down to the rescue truck's heavy equipment locker doors.

Miraculously, he got everything he needed free in half a minute.

He set the biophone, drug box, defib, O2, and the IV box next to the squad stokes on the brick strewn floor in the only narrow space available. Along the wall map's baseboard.

On a whim thought, he grabbed shovel. ::There's not much digging Chet and Vince can do getting to Johnny with their bare hands.::

That done he shouted. "Cap.. How're you doing?!"

Hank didn't answer right away.

"Cap?!'

"Huh? I'm fine. I'm fine.. What do you got over there?" Cap said.

Roy moved to check out the split garage doors where Bonnie had run through to get to the back yard. He smiled and just about cried when he saw almost a two meter gap. :: Tipped on its side, the stokes could pass through that rear door fissure easily..:: "Found a way out. I'm coming back!"

And he ran back through the dusty mist to the front of the garage, almost leaping over the debris piles. "Cap..did you hear me? We're getting outta here.."

He screeched to a halt when he rounded the fender of the squad.

Cap was crouched , still squatting on his feet, almost on top of Marco, but he was slumped over with his head sagging down.

Roy grabbed his shoulder, his stomach flipping. But Cap immediately lifted his head.

Recovering from his fright, Roy spelled it out in no uncertain terms.  
"Hey, are you going to be able to do this, Cap? If you're feeling hurt worse than you think you are, I can go get Ch--"

"No. Roy, let's just get him out now. I'll sit down once we're outta danger.." Cap said, looking at his paramedic. He grabbed onto Marco's feet and picked them up, while Roy got his shoulders. "Come on.. Let's move. Look,  
his resp rate's already dropping off.  
Marco won't be able to wait much longer for O2 if you detour. Besides, neither Kelly nor Vince will want to leave trying to get Gage outta trouble without a fight. And that will cause a serious delay my friend.. Don't tell me that it won't."

He wasn't happy, but Roy didn't protest further.

It took several minutes, with Cap stumbling and sweating over boards and bricks for both of them to get Marco safely enscounced into the stokes and strapped in. They piled all the gear on top of him for a one trip carry, until they got to the split in the rear hanger doors Roy had found.

Roy gestured for Cap to head on through first to accept gear in hand-offs.

Soon the three of them were free from the shattered ruin of station 51's garage, and into clearer air and sunlight.

Cap grunted when he saw the level of destruction around them in the yard.  
The high tan brick walls ringing the station were completely levelled.  
"My god, the epicenter must have been right here.." He barely got stumbling to where Mike was when he dropped Marco's stokes the last few inches to the ground.

Roy said, "Think you're right, Cap. Now just take it easy over 've done all you can do.." he said as Cap sat painfully down next to Marco's head to monitor him.

DeSoto grabbed the 02 apparatus and handed it over to Stoker, who was listening to a tenative recaptured air exchange on Miss Thorne. "How's she doing?" he asked Mike.

"Got her partially back. She's breathing one out of three." he said, snatching for the demand valve. He began to use it full flow, letting her pull air when she could but assisting and taking over when she lapsed.  
"I got lucky. She never lost a pulse." Then he tossed a head back behind him. "You'd better get over there buddy. Chet and Vince are having problems digging Gage out."

"Is he conscious?"

"Don't know.." Mike answered.  
"Sort of had my hands full here."

"I'm going over there. She'll maintain all right. Here's more info on them."  
Roy dragged Marco's stokes near enough to the O2 so he could string a mask from the other port for Lopez. "Marco's really out. Breathing shallow. And he's febrile for some reason. Keep an eye on Cap too. Possible head injury.." he said setting a ten liter flow for Marco through a non rebreather.

Mike nodded. "Ok. Got it. Roy, I think the woman's problem is just the gas exposure. Nothing fell on either one of us at all.."

"Noted. I'll contact Rampart as soon as we know about Johnny too.."  
Roy said. He grabbed the shovel he and Cap brought and ran around the antique engine towards where he could hear Bonnie barking.

On the way, he met the four tour students they all had gotten out of the station. "It's all right kids. Your teacher's not dead. We're just helping her on some oxygen. Your friends are safe, too, out in front. Just wait here where it's safe in the open. Don't go anywhere, all right?"

Four heads nodded. The kids were shivering where they were clinging together seated on the ground, mousy with emotional shock. But Roy didn't see any critical problems on them so he left them alone in Mike's line of sight.

He ran faster until he got to where Bonnie was letting the dirt fly high.

Chet and Vince were in high gear too, still trying to dig next to a frantic Bonnie. Vince was beginning to get desperate,  
using his helmet.

Roy dropped down onto the brick pile and laid to with his spade fighting down unbidden fears. "Heard anything?"

"Not a peep." Chet said just as anxious. "There's NO way we can get to him, man. There must be half a ton of bricks here. This is where the hose tower was.."

"Just keep digging. There's gotta be an airpocket or something under there."  
Vince said.

"We hope.." Chet said.  
Kelly's shortness made Roy try to ease his doubts even as his own grew worse.  
"Part of the stack was reinforced concrete and wire. That wouldn't collapse flat."  
Roy said. ::Johnny. Hang in there.::

For several tense moments, there was just the "chuck" of helmet and shovel and bare hands, biting into soil and rubble.

Then Kelly said, "Hold it! Hold it! Look!"

Bonnie had moved to a different area of the debris pile and was cocking her head at a sound just beneath her.  
She began to dig madly and the pitch of her barking changed to one of excited discovery.

There was a small cave beneath her and in her eagerness, dashed inside of it.

"Bonnie. No!!" Kelly warned.  
But the tiny Yorkie's tail reemerged unscathed, and soon, came the rest of her. When her head followed out of the hole, Gage's dusty sock and foot were tightly in her mouth.

"Johnny!!?" Chet yelled, and he shoved Bonnie aside to bury his head into the hole up to the shoulders with both hands,  
reaching deep. "He's alive.. I can see him breathing." came his muffled report. "His arms and shoulders are pinned pretty good in here. I think a small chamb--"

There was another cave in and a plume of dust hissed out of the fissure and Kelly let out a startled yell.

Vince grabbed onto his belt in a tackle to keep Kelly from slipping under the ground even further. His efforts proved just how unstable the regolith in their area was.

Another collapse came, this one bigger and heavier. Suddenly, both Johnny and Chet started to thrash in panic as their airspace suddenly filled up in choking dirt and brick.

Vince hauled Kelly out by his pants, with every sinew of strength, until inch by inch,  
the curly haired fireman was pulled free..

Chet gasped and choked on chalky grit that had blown into his nose and mouth.  
"Get him out of there!! *cough* The whole roof caved in.*cough. cough*"

Roy started to dig underneath where Johnny's leg was writhing as quickly as he dared.

It was Bonnie who found Gage's other pinned leg, twisted above the first just before his struggles began to weaken.

Vince and Roy abandoned helmet and shovel and quickly each hauled on a leg full weight backwards, sliding awkwardly on the slippery brick pieces.

"Come on. Let go.." Vince grunted to the earth. "He can't breathe.."

Johnny's limp head dragged clear at last and thunked over a few boulders when all three of them fell on their butts.

"Johnny. Can you hear me?" Roy shouted. He crawled to Johnny's head,  
accidently jarring him in his haste to get an answer.. Gage's mouth gaped open.

A rock was inside blocking off his throat.  
Roy hooked it free with a couple of fingers.. "Johnny? Hey.... It's gone.  
Come on spit it out." he said, slapping his partner's face, hard.

The sudden sting to the skin on his rock rubbed raw face, drove Johnny to full wakefulness and he flopped over onto his side, coughing wetly.

He threw up a lot of dirt and mucous until he gasped in; the first solid breath of air he had taken since he'd been buried. "*Hack* Whaa? Roy?....*gasp* Oh man.  
I thought.. I wasn't ever ........gonna make it......out of t-there.. "

Roy dropped his head in relief.  
"So did we... Just keep breathing regular. You're still blue.."

Gage added more as his head cleared.  
"Thanks for trying to shield me Chet. Almost worked."  
and he sagged onto the ground in exhaustion, grateful to be seeing daylight and moving air.  
Then hypoxia nausea rose up and he got sick again. ::Mud this time. Better from my stomach than from a lung or two..::

"Got it all out?" Roy asked, still hanging onto him when he was through.

Johnny nodded, without opening his eyes. "Yeah.. I think so."

"Believe it or not, you're completely pink now after all that.."

"I feel green.."

"Just lie still for a sec. Hurt anywhere else besides your hand?" Roy asked.

"My hand?" Johnny said, picking his head up and peering down. A bent rod was embedded through the bones in his left palm and was sticking out the back of it.

"Aw Roy, why did you tell him about that? Now he's gonna freak out.." Chet said.

"Oh, man.." Gage said, ignoring both of them. He curled around himself as his eyes seemed to reconnect his nerves centers into a core of agony through his impaled hand. "Royyyy?... this just isn't my day...ah, h*ll.." he grimaced.

Chet was still coming down from Johnny's close call. "Not everyday a full moon earthquake scores a direct bullseye on Johnny Gage..That's for d*mned sure. " And he laughed. He stopped immediately when Gage caught his breath,  
around another spasm.."Oooo. Come on. It's time to get up Gage. If we let you think about it too long, you're going to have to be carried out of here." he said gently.. "l'll tape that immobile after we get ya over to the biophone."

Gage let the three of them sit him up and then with a groan, he let the burly Vince lift him bodily to a very shaky pair of feet.  
Bonnie nearly leaped somersaults when she saw her favorite fireman finally standing vertical.

She barked happily, frisking in the dust, until she saw the huddle of frightened kids by the old engine. She dashed off to be with them in a cloud of dirt..

Very soon, the kids snapped out of their dazed stares to timidly reach out to pet her dirty back.

"Would you look at that.. Bonnie works better than smelling salts." Gage grinned, halting them all.

"You owe her a ton of bacon my friend.  
She's the one who found you, Johnny.." Kelly commented.

"Well I'll be.."

"Come on Captain Hook, let's get you cleaned up. If we don't hurry, you just might have to stay this way...." Roy quipped, glancing down at Johnny's speared hand.

"Oh ha. Aren't you funny.."Gage replied sarcastically. He shifted his weight as Roy moved his good arm over a shoulder.  
Then he paled, when he saw what was dripping on his shoes. "What makes you think I wanna work after this?"

DeSoto went on with his interrupted sentence.. "We've got three injured patients to attend to, not counting you. Don't worry, I'll let you black out if I have to, just as soon as another squad gets here to relieve you.." Roy nodded for Chet to start applying pressure to Johnny's brachial artery when the wound around the rod started to spurt as Gage's blood pressure rallied with his mental clarity.

"You're all heart.." Johnny grinned weakly.

As soon as they all got over to the others,  
Johnny promptly forgot his hand. "Chet, let go of me.. Just put a tourniquet on this. If I have to work, I'll do it verbally,  
You can at least get vitals sets.. Roy, what do we got? Looks like Miss Thorne's the worst of them.." he said, reaching over with his good hand to get the band Chet needed to stop his hemorrhaging. Gage grabbed it out of one of the gear boxes Mike had flicked open for him, between one of his positive pressure valve ventilations he was delivering to the stilled teacher.

Roy said, "Natural gas inhalation. On her and Marco both. He's breathing ok, but she's partially unresponsive.  
Marco's also got an unexplained elevated temp. Cap found it assessing him. Cap's got a slight concussion I think. He was out for a while. I haven't gotten a look at his pupils yet.."

"Chet you go handle that while Roy calls us in."  
Gage snapped. "Stop fussing with me."

"Right. Almost got this secure.." Chet said, giving one last yank on the tourniquet around Johnny's upper arm. "There.." he smiled, biting a lip. "Going numb?"

"Not fast enough..." Gage peeped in pain.

"Good. You're set. " His eyes flickered downward.. "Give me that.." and he pulled out Johnny's penlight from his pocket to look at Cap. "Walk me through the neural Johnny. I've only seen you guys do this a few times.." he said seriously, then he beamed, full charm, smiling at Cap as he knelt by him. "Hiya Cap. Great to see you winking those peepers at me.  
Thought you were dead for a sec in there. .." he leaned in with his light.. "This won't hurt a bit.."

Johnny began instructing Chet by rote what things to look for. Soon, he had the info needed to share with Roy when he was ready on his end.

DeSoto threw an eye on Miss Thorne to count the actual times she tried to breathe around Stoker's vents and he shivered in utter weariness. The initial adrenaline he always got in a crisis,  
was leaving him, letting him feel every bump and ache the earthquake had imparted to him.  
::But.....It sure feels great knowing no one died. It could have been worse...::

He coughed once to clear out the acrid dust in his throat. Then he started writing in his note pad the findings in prep for a medical base station hail.

Trussed up and no longer bleeding like a stuck pig, Johnny checked the psi on the regulator of outgoing 02 on the apparatus feeding Marco and the teacher's masks.  
::Plenty of oxygen left here.:: he thought with satisfaction. He even nodded with approval when Chet was simply perfect getting an accurate BP off Marco where he lay in the stokes. ::94/60. Not too shocky..:: Gage thought after Chet had told him what it was.

A minute later they all heard a chorus of sirens as the first of the responding stations rolled up to their scene. It looked strange seeing firetrucks actually rolling TO a firehouse, with all their reds flashing.

Cap got on his walkie talkie as soon as he bird eyed the number on the pumper's door. "Engine 51 to Station Eight. We've got four victims in the yard. B-- -uh,...Bring three s-stokes.."

The fast reply from Eight's Captain Stone made it clear that they knew who at least one of those stokes was for.  
##Hank? Hang on. We're coming. Looks clear along your south exposure. Man what a mess. Hope you aren't bad yourself..##

"I'm fair.." Cap replied. "Watch it in there. Gas leak in the kitchen.  
"And don't tell me any details about the engine or the squad. I simply don't wanna know..We just pulled one of them back from the brink only this morning..!" he wailed.

Nearby, Roy grinned and mentally downgraded Cap's medical status a few notches after overhearing his joking remark..

He brought the black phone receiver to his ear and plugged in the red comm box's aerial antennae.

##Rampart this is Squad 51, How do you read?##

---------------------------

Photo : Chet Kelly sneering in jest.

Gif : A resuscitator in a green case with the PPV connected up.  
Photo: A screengrab from Snakebite with Johnny on top of the engine, Chet and Marco nearby.

*  
From: "Cassidy Meyers" Date: Fri Oct 25, 2002 7:58 pm Subject: Hard Run..

Special acknowledgements to Story Consult-- Justafan1701- on LACoFD Telecommunications and earthquake seismology.

The fast reply from Eight's Captain Stone made it clear that they knew who at least one of those stokes was for.  
##Hank? Hang on. We're coming. Looks clear along your south exposure. Man what a mess. Hope you aren't bad yourself..##

"I'm fair.." Cap replied. "Watch it in there. Gas leak in the kitchen.  
"And don't tell me any details about the engine or the squad. I simply don't wanna know..We just pulled one of them back from the brink only this morning..!" he wailed.

Nearby, Roy grinned and mentally downgraded Cap's medical status a few notches after overhearing his joking remark..

Mike looked down as Cindy Thorne started actively coughing under the resuscitator.  
He lifted it free to make sure she wasn't getting ill. "Easy.." he said as she began to struggle as some consciousness returned.  
He sighed in relief when he saw that she wasn't sick at all.  
"Miss Thorne. Keep this over your face.  
It's just an oxygen mask. You took in some gas in there from the stove but you're going to be fine."

"Oh,hhh... Robbie? Rachael?....I can't see any of them.!" she said, gasping,  
knocking Mike's hands away.

Cap near them turned from Marco.  
"Cindy! No.." he shouted and they both grabbed her head and shoulders when she suddenly sat up. Immediate dizziness almost made her pass out again. "Stoker, she's probably just worried about the kids. Hang on there a sec, pal."

Cap took her face into his hands,  
cradling her cheeks, until he made full eye contact. "Cindy? It's all right. They're all out.. You are too. Now just lie back down and let us make sure that you're ok. Help's already here from another engine company and we'll be outta here just as soon as we can. But first, you gotta take in some more O2. It'll help clear your head. And it will make you feel a h*ll of a lot better. All right?"

Cindy coughed, trying to focus on Mike and Cap blearily, but finally, she let them lower her back down to the ground when their calm reasoning finally registered in her brain.  
Then she noticed Marco, "Oh, is he ok? He's hurt!..." she gasped,  
blinking in distress.

"He's fine. His story's the same as yours." Mike said to her. "He's just decided to nap a bit longer than you.."

Cap shot eyes at Stoker and he nodded in agreement for her benefit. "Now, just keeping breathing this in. " Hank said, setting the O2 back over her face.."That's it.. Nice and easy. Stoker's gonna stay with you for a while here until you get your equilibrium back."

"But.." she said weakily, muffled through the mask as she tried to get used to it being there.

"Don't worry about your students.  
There's a police officer here who'll watch the children for you.."  
he looked up.. "Annddd...right now,  
it looks like most of them are playing tag with our station dog..They're just fine,  
really." Cap said matter of factly with a huge grin, brushing hair and debris out of her face.

Cindy Thorne closed her eyes when her shock suddenly overtook her mental will. "Oh, ..I've got to..reach their..paren--.."

"We'll do that soon. Just rest for a bit. I'm sure tha--" Mike broke off his comment when she blacked out. He moved a hand to her carotid as she went limp. Cap eyed him but he waggled his head. "She's all right. Still moving air on her own. There's resistance here." he said, checking with a test vent on the mask into her lungs. "Got a pulse rate about 100.  
I'll get an actual draw count for DeSoto when he's set.."

Cap sat back down onto his rump, letting his weariness show in his face again. He gingerly felt the back of his head and it came away bloodied. "Good. Keep on her, Stoker.. I'll get back to Lopez."

Roy was only half aware of the teacher's brief episode of awakening. He was concentrating on listening close to the biophone. "Rampart this is rescue 5-1. Do you copy?"

** Static **

Roy changed channels on the biophone,  
to the little used all call band, redirecting his comm transmission to HQ LA. "LA, this is squad 51, is our channel clear to Rampart? We can't seem to raise them."

** Static **

Johnny looked up from watching Chet immobilize the rod running through his hand, trying not to wince. "Think the repeaters are out?" he asked Roy.

"Maybe.." DeSoto said. "LA must be scrambling to get an all stations check and haven't found out that our district's radio relay is down."

"He got through before.. I heard him when the kids and I were still ducking down in the engine cab."  
Chet said.

"That was landline, Chet." John said.  
"We were in the stationhouse."

"I know. Things can change quickly following an earthquake.." Kelly said. "But, you know how good those guys are about reestablishing a comm net once a problem is detected."

"Well, Miss Thorne and Marco can't wait." Roy said. He lifted his HT. "LA, this is Squad 51."

##Go ahead, 51..##

"Our radio telemetry seems to be out on our biophone. Is there anyway you can relay to Rampart General Hospital for us? We've four victims that need a doctor's attention right away.."

There was a longer than average pause.  
Even Cap looked up at the delay.

##Squad 51. All channels have been utilized for emergency broadcast communication only. Disaster protocol is in place. Suggest using a landline to Rampart. If the telephone line to the station house has been effected, payphones are showing as still in service in your area. ##

"Payphones?" Gage said incredulously.

Cap piped up.. "Yeah. Payphones. They've got underground cabling. The same dirt which knocked out the repeaters alignment must have cushioned the payphone network. Makes sense.  
DeSoto, free up off the biophone. Let the man work. We'll try his suggestion first.."

Roy shrugged, uncertain and embarrassed he even bothered LA, who was now set in a higher priority moding. "10-4, LA. We copy. We'll 10-8 to a landline."

#Squad 51..# the head dispatch acknowledged.

"Cap, why didn't you tell me not to biocall?"

"Quite frankly Roy, I'm not up on earthquake scenario past the basics. I was in the dark just as much as you were. First time I've ever been in one." Hank shrugged.

"First time for me, too.." came the voice of Captain Stone, from very near by.  
He waved his men over with the requested stokes and they clustered around the group in Station 51's shattered backyard. "So, far, we've all been using HT's. But only between units.  
I found out from McConike about the landline trick for our rescue squad."

"Who's here?" Gage piped up.

"Gil and Brice...They're getting the 02 and their gear. We figured you boys wouldn't have had much equipment left after that.." Stone replied throwing a thumb over his shoulder at the rubble between the bunkhouse and kitchen ends of station 51.  
"Cap. We've been inside. The gas is off and we're already opening holes to ventilate. All the fumes are gone. And believe it or not. Your kitchen phone is working. Gil's already got Rampart on the line for you.  
Switch to our station's frequency on your handheld to get him. He's set to relay."

Roy spoke up, "Thanks, Captain Stone. But I think I should field that call personally. I've got all our patient info up here.." and he pointed to his head. "One to one, that way,  
with the doctor would be faster."

"Fair enough. I'll send Gil out here to assist Brice on treatment." Stone shrugged.

They all turned when some of Engine 8's crew dropped down the rest of the rear door from the mangled garage using a short K-12 application, offering easy access back into the shattered heart of Station 51.

"Oh, man.." Cap groaned. "I didn't want to see that.." he said as a falling rafter kicked loose from a wind gust, and smashed into the main dome light on top of the Ward's cab, pulverizing it.

Vince piped up to Stone's men. "Ok, let's get these kids out of here. They're students from Grover Middleland school. That's their teacher lying over there. Move out. I've got additional squad cars here so we can evac all of them."

Firemen moved to escort the frightened children away from the scene.

Roy rose to his feet. "Johnny. Hey.  
I've got to go back inside. Take it easy now. And try to get along with Brice,  
huh? He's going to be senior assessor here, even over you, all right?"

He jogged, gripping his handy talkie,  
and ran by Brice, who was coming, helmeted, with gear.

"I know that. I'll be a professional!"  
Johnny shouted after his partner.  
He winced when the effort shot a bolt of pain through his hand.

"That's professional patient, Gage.  
The moment Squad 8 got on scene,  
they bumped you out of service man.."  
Chet said.

"Don't rub it in, Chet." Johnny spat.

His anger was tempered when Bonnie,  
suddenly free of her children charges,  
came running up. She reared up, planting kisses of worry and affection onto his chin.

Johnny smiled in spite of himself.

Brice rushed by Roy without even looking fully at him.. "The woman?"

Roy said, running in the opposite direction.  
"Still breathing.. Marco's gas inhalation too!"  
he shouted after him. Roy wheeled, reluctant to leave the yard, until Cap re- enforced his departure to the kitchen phone with an arched eyebrow..

Captain Stone was on DeSoto's heels to make sure that flashlights were delivered to the dark kitchen for Roy's note dictation via landline.

He sent more men arriving from the responding units to the surrounding area to cruise for trouble spots beyond Station 51's scene. As an after thought,  
he got his engineer to pull up 51's squad and the LaFrance out of the garage once the worst of the roofing debris had been pulled off of them. Stone huffed a breath on his sleeve and polished the door handle of the engine when he saw Hank watching him once the two trucks were free of the garage rubble.

Cap chuckled when he saw that little move and lifted his HT. "Needs a lot more than a wax job,  
Ben.. Appreciate it, though."

Stone added, ##I'll have my crew check em out.  
Neither of them are leaking fuel.. I got a fanning hose wash on them just in case.##

"Take good care of my boys and my station.."  
Cap sighed, and he let Stone's men move him to a stokes for a lie down and soon, he was fitted with an O2 cannula and his turnout was removed. Hank's HT, however, stayed fast in his grip by his head, where he could hear everything, even as he let go physically and mentally. He felt a man move closer to monitor him as he closed his eyes.

"Night Cap.." Gage said, lying in his own stokes. "Don't doze too deep with that headcrack of yours."

"I won't. Just don't gore Brice with that hand pike of yours."

"Deal."

Moments later, Brice finished crossing the yard and he knelt by Cindy Thorne first for a new vitals set.

He looked up to see Bonnie still bathing Johnny's chin with kisses and Gage being too out of it to push her away. "Getting mouth to mouth from a dog, Gage? Must be protocol I haven't yet heard about."

"Very funny. This dog saved my life, I'm not about to tick her off by complaining.." he said, lifting Bonnie into the stokes where she promptly laid down in between his legs, setting a worried muzzle and front paws onto his stomach, still softly whining with stress.

Brice curbed his banter. "What have we got here Gage? Roy didn't tell me much.."

"Stoker revived the woman. No trauma. Cap's got a blow to the back of his head.  
Pupils equal and reactive. Marco's out,  
febrile after LOC. BP, 94/60, Resp 12,  
shallow. Pulse 92. Me, I, uh.. Almost choked in a cave-in. Puked out a lot of ingested mud. Chest seems clear. And I got this little little..problem--mm ." he said lifting his stabbed hand.

The sight of the rod made Brice pause and he sank his glasses lower on his nose to get a closer look at it from where he was listening to Cindy's breath sounds through a stethoscope.

Brice asked Chet, "Blood loss.." he said.  
snapping his fingers, about Gage.

"Oh, uh, Gage lost about 600 CC before I got that tourniquet in plac--"

"Get him on a cannula, Kelly. 4-6 liters O2.  
Use our unit. Elevate his legs.  
Then position your captain with his head raised. I'll be right with you, Gage.  
Almost through assessing this woman." Brice said.

But Johnny didn't answer.

Gil arrived from the rubble and took Brice's pointing hint to check Johnny's consciousness level as Chet followed his medical orders to a T.

The two Station 8 medics got to work..

-  
Inside the dark and silent kitchen,  
Roy's face was illuminated by flashlight and he took the phone from the Station 8 paramedic waiting for him there. "Thanks Gil. I'm trading places with ya.."

"Sure thing. It's Brackett on the line."  
And Gil ran off to the yard.

Roy set his HT on the phone top and nodded to the fireman with the flashlight to go about his business,  
grabbing the torch from his gloves as he set the kitchen phone receiver to his face. Roy shifted the light under one arm so he could see his notepad. "Rampart, this is Squad 51. How do you read?"

As he waited for a return, Roy had his first real, thinking look at the devastation that the quake had brought to his station.  
He watched as a frightened sparrow arrowed through the airspace where the garage roof had been.

::Will we be able to get over all of this:  
came the thought, unbidden.

A familiar voice broke Roy out of his fear. ##This is Rampart. Go ahead, 51. You're reading loud and clear..##

Roy sighed and almost sobbed when Kel's steady confident baritone met his ear. "Doctor Brackett. We've uh,  
four victims at our location. The earthquake has pretty much destroyed the stationhouse here. Trauma is apparent. Three of my victims are... are Code I. Victim one.  
A female approximate age, twenty two. Found apneic from natural gas inhalation. Now breathing on her own on one hundred percent 02. Victim two.  
Unconscious. Moderate gas inhalation and etiology of unknown fever on ten liters O2.  
Victim three. Cave-in. Obstructed airway now relieved. Ingested mud. Foreign body impalement of the left hand. Arterial bleeding is under control. Victim four. Possible head injury with history of blackout, awake and oriented. Pupils equal and reactive."

##10-4, 51.## came Kel's voice. Roy could hear the man's concern seeping through his doctor mode even through his short reply back. #Can you give me full vitals for Victim one?#

"R-right. doc.. uh. ..s-she's.." and his voice caught; the sudden realization of what had happened finally sinking in. "Well, she's like I said and..and.. I- I'm sorry doc.  
I can't--"

At the base station, Dixie and Kel's faces fell out of their professional shells at the sound of pain in his voice. Brackett was stunned, hearing his best medic fall apart on the job. He felt Dix tap him sharply on the arm and looked up to see her give him a do something look.

##Hang in there Roy, I'm with you. Gil tells me that you've got a full response already on scene so you've got plenty of help right there. Roy, you're not alone.  
Dix is right here, too. We'll get your friends taken care of as fast as we possibly can here by working together. So don't worry. All you have to do is give me one detail at a time. Focus on that and we'll get through this difficult rescue just like we do all the others#  
Dr. Brackett heard only badly concealed muffled sobs on the other end of the line. ##Roy, I guarantee it. It's just always harder when things hit close to home like this.##

Roy felt unbidden tears begin to run down his face but he didn't say anything and he sniffled wetly, the weight of the phone call, reporting catastrophe,  
wearing on him.

##Now go ahead on the woman's vitals#  
He heard Kel order.

Roy cleared his throat and spoke....

--------------------------

Photo: A crushed fire engine.

Photo : Dr. Brackett, looking down on us.

Photo: Brice, smiling in a firehouse kitchen.

Photo : Roy, wearing a stethoscope outside.

Photo : An aerial view over Station 51, showing the block as totally levelled. Collapses everywhere.

*  
From: "Cory Anda" Date: Sat Oct 26, 2002 2:14 am Subject: Big Time Complication

##Now go ahead on the woman's vitals#  
He heard Kel order.

Roy cleared his throat and spoke....

"Hang on, we're HT to the outside here.  
Relaying direct to station 8's paramedics. Please stand by. Vitals to follow." Roy said.

##Standing by..##

----------------------------

Five minutes later, DeSoto had his initial medical orders relayed to the yard to Gil and Brice over his hand held.

Dr. Brackett asked Roy one more question.  
##What's your ETA on an ambulance ?##

"We don't know that yet, doc. Depends on how badly the roads in our area are damaged." Roy said.

##10-4, 51. Get them here any way you can.  
When you can. ##

"Yep.." Roy said, impatient. "Just wish I could."

Kel added. ##I'll be frank with you, Roy. Gage, we can turn around, same with your captain and the school teacher. It's Marco I'm worried about. I don't like the fact that his vitals are sinking like this and the fact we can't figure out his LOC or snap him out of it with epinephren. Or that sudden onset of fever.. And another thing, that odd bloody patching Gil found in his throat's d*mned pec-  
Hang on Roy, Joe's telling me something#  
There was a pause and Roy could hear the two doctors confirming a new development. Brackett came back online. ##Roy, we've got word there's a battalion triage station setting up near you. Joe's just heard about it from squad 99. They're treating victims there, just down the block from your 10-20. Perhaps you can move out to their location as an alternate to transporting here if the roads prove to be impassable. Wait a minute, on second thought, I want you to utilize them instead of us here at Rampart, understood? I'm getting orders now from FEMA for some of us to be flown in, over the alert scanner..## Dr. Brackett said.

More warbles came that Roy couldn't quite make out. Then an exclamation..

##Beautiful! That solved our problem, Roy. Just got my own orders to report out to your own area within the next fifteen minutes. I'll rendevous with you myself to see your victims. Count on me muscling in to be their attending MD.##

"Appreciate it, doc.. listen, off the record. Just how bad is it out there?"

##My guess is extremely localized for the most part. All the runs coming in that are quake related are in the same one mile square area. No major fires, but my casualty reports are still sketchy.##

A ruckus outside the kitchen caught Roy's attention; police clashing with media types.

Roy's forehead furrowed as he gripped the phone tighter. "Listen doc. I know you're busy.. Could you do me a favor? Could you have Dixie call our families to let them know we're all right. No doubt they're pretty panicked watching us on their television sets,  
I see a camera crew out there right now,  
bumping heads with the PD."

##Will do, Roy. Contact base again if there are further developments. See you soon.##

"10-4. Squad 51, out."

Roy hung up the phone, and walked the few feet to the plaster powdered kitchen table in weariness. He wiped the sweat off his blood caked face with a dusty towel he found there and slowly began recapturing his wits, leaning against it, until a sensation of heat against his back made him jump off its edge.

It was a coffee pot, still warm and steaming from where Johnny had left it before the quake. Roy stared at its unreal normalcy, smelled its perfumey steam curls, delicately wafting in his flashlight's beam, until a shout from the yard caused him to hightail it back outside as fast as he could..

"What do you mean it's my fault he's shocky?! I couldn't have started O2 on him any sooner because both lines were on Marco and the girl, who needed the help more at the time, Brice, so back off ! If Gage were awake, I'm sure he'd be agreeing with me wholeheartedly!"

Roy got himself between Kelly and Brice.  
"Hey hey hey.. Hush down! Just what's the matter with you two? We've got nosy press types already in the driveway.  
This is no time to let personality clashes come to a boil where they might overhear it.." he said.

All the while he spoke, Roy was watching Gil, who was keeping well out of it. He didn't miss Gil speeding up an IV of Ringers Lactate on Marco,  
nor his slipping in an oral airway on him.

Roy's practiced eye also saw that Cindy's atropine, to boost her respirations, had already been administered from the sight of the yellow pop caps on the ground.  
Mike was now absent.  
::Stoker must have gone on to damage patrol.  
Cindy's only on a light nonrebreather. At least, she's doing better.:: He got an OK gesture from Gil about her, pantomimed.

Another part of his mind dealt with putting his two coworkers sharply into line.  
"Keep it down to a quiet roar if you two have to argue. Or better yet, let's all just do our jobs here, as a team.." he lectured. "We'll take a vote on who was right over a poker game once our butts are safe and sound on solid ground next week,  
all right..?!"

Chet and Brice both studied the ground,  
then both looked sheepishly around to make sure that Stone, nor any of his men had overheard their petty bickering.

"That's better.." Roy said, glaring at Brice and Chet, as he began crouching by Marco to look at his pupils. "Now here's the scoop. Brackett's on his way here. It's looking more and more that the roads might be out in our vicinity for there's a helicopter triage station area just down the boulevard. It's already up and running. So let's get our victims out of here and where we'll be able to do them the most good all right?"

For two minutes, the four of them mobilized and packed up all of their equipment and supplies.

Just then, Captain Stone returned to the yard. He was oblivious to the tension just evaporating.  
"Ok, 're moving out. There's a triage-"

Roy cut in. "Uh, yes sir. Captain. We got word from Brackett about it. We're set.. We're ready to move when you are. Everyone is stabilized and supported on O2."

"Fast work.. All right. Let's do it.." he gestured to his men who ran out of the station house following a very hasty cleanup and damage check.

The runaway hydrant had long since been emergency capped.

"But there's been a further 're opening your bunk house to these triage victims of yours and any others who are waiting turns to be flown out of the disaster area. Only the garage bay was unstable boys, the rest of the station checks out. You may be running a triage base station for this block from right here.."

"Understood, Cap.." Brice said. "I'll move our gear into there."

Stone looked down at Captain Stanley,  
who was mumbling to himself in his half sleep, giving random orders based on what he was hearing in his ear through the talkie. "Is he ok? Saw him go out a few minutes ago."

"He's on just a precautionary IV, and his vitals are fine, Cap." Roy said. "He won't be running any operations but that doesn't mean he won't be dreaming about us doing it. He's got quite a grip on that hand held. He's hanging on every word. Even in his sleep." he grinned. "His concussion appears to be minor."

Stone didn't move from his hands on hips planted position, so Roy volunteered to him a quick a medical rundown on all the others too.  
"Ok.." Stone said, satisfied. "I'll let the triage head know what you got.."

Stone got teams of men to grab the four stokes to haul them into the sleeping quarters of Station 51 and out of the hot California sun.

Already, earthquake dust was making the air hard to breathe.

------------------------------

The bunk room was surprisingly intact.  
Not even dusty. A quick check showed that they had a viable phone line in there too, at the night writing desk. Only the power and gas service was knocked out. And Engine 51, itself, proved capable of supplying water needed for cleanup and first aid.

Bonnie, stuck like glue to Johnny's stokes, sinking down underneath his covering blanket, so she wouldn't be discovered lurking there. Chet almost squished her with Johnny's O2 tank before he remembered.  
"Oh, sorry Bonnie. Keep watching him."  
he said to the breathing lump,  
as he transferred the D tank to the floor.

The bunk house outer door was opened to daylight and portable lamps were brought in from the triage station for them to use. IV's were taped suspended to the wood working and blankets abounded. Gear from the two squads sat in a row on the floor the length of the room in the aisle.  
And more O2 apparatuses from multiple companies were brought in with another set of universal HT's and a makeshift command center board.

Roy heard a helicopter land nearby,  
its wash sending eerie prop echoes through the shattered roof in the bay next room over,  
and he fervently hoped it was Brackett's.

Cap and Johnny's stokes were set off the floor between chairs instead of using valuable bedspace, but Marco had been placed on a long board on a bed in prep for a priority move. He was first on the list to go.

DeSoto set a defibrillator next to Marco with nervousness. He was the only one in the room so far who was at risk for one's use.

Roy got another vitals set on him and frowned. He waved Brice over.  
"He's worse. Rales now, in the lungs.  
And his fever's up. Help me get a temp on him.."

"That fast? I don't understand what the problem might be. Gage said all he did was take in a little gas.." Brice said checking the placement of the mask over Marco's oral airway.

"We were in a big fire two days ago,  
and before that, he had a bad cold. We've been busting our butts fussing over him to see a doctor ever since."

"Did he go?"

"Do pigs fly?"

"Oh. I see. White coat anxiety syndrome."

"Actually. No. " Roy grinned. "Marco's just a busy man. He has an aging mother he's been caring for and lately it's been taking up a lot of his time. "

"To the point of letting himself be sick for days?"

"Guess so. Marco's like that. Always doing for others over himself. He tells me that's why he's a fireman. " he smiled. But that smile faded. "He told us over dinner on Sunday that the two of them just got back from Mexico City, after burying a cousin.  
A boy I think, who had died suddenly. Help me here.."

Soon, Brice and Roy got a temp off Marco internally. Roy held it up to the lamplight. "A hundred three?  
Brice, this has got to be an infection.  
I don't like it. And that gas inhalation's just getting Marco into hot water.."

"It definitely brought out this illness to the foreground.." Brice agreed.

Gil had been nearby, checking on Gage and Cap and the teacher.  
"Well, we'd better get him into some cold water before his central nervous system crashes out. His breathing response is too level and slow as it is.." Gil said.  
"Want me to patch him?"

"Yes, his systolic is seventy eight and weak."

Roy opened Marco's shirt and sheared his T shirt in two out of the way. Brice got out the defib paddles, holding them in the air above the bed. "Wait. Here. This is faster.." and he placed them onto Marco's ribcage and manually scoped him.

All three medics looked at the tiny defibrillator screen. It was showing tachycardia, deep.

"Look at that.." Brice exclaimed.

"It's the fever..and partly the gas.."  
Roy said. "No PVC's though. He's sure holding well. That rate's just about 140. "

"That's the epi Brackett ordered."  
Brice said. "It quickens but it strengthens too."

"I'll get a strip off the portable monitor after I get him patched in.." Gil said. "The doc is going to want to see this.."

"No doubt." Brice tossed away the paddles,  
leaving the unit between Marco's knees.  
"I'm going to go grab some ice from your frig. You do have some in there?"

"Yeah.." Roy said. "Two bags."

Brice left to get it.

Roy and Gil got cloth sheets wet and stuffed them inside the plastic one they had used to bundle him onto the longboard. Cold water from the station's engine was used and liberally pooled, soaking the bedsheets inside the localized cold pack. Brice's ice was added to the bath around Marco's torso.

"He's really out.. I'm not even seeing skin bumps from us chilling him like this.." Roy said,  
taking another BP. "It's up slightly. Getting a diastolic now with the systolic. 84/36."

"His color's better too." Gil said, looking at Marco's gums and nail beds.

Next to them, Gage stirred. Roy shifted on his knees and got a grip on his stokes. "Hey there." he smiled openly relieved. " Caught up on your beauty sleep, Johnny? Don't start stretching now. You're suspended on top of a couple of chairs. And you've an IV in."

"W-Where are we?"

"The bunks room. It's now a triage station."

"Huh.. Had a weird dream. I dreamed that Lopez went into.." then he noticed the defib case open and saw the paddle cables abandoned on the blankets at Marco's feet. "Wait a minute.. Did you guys just work him?"

"No, Gage. Just a scope.." Brice said.  
"Now a water bath.."

"Bath?" Johnny asked groggily. "His fever's up?"

"It's one hundred three. And he's showing rales in both lungs."

"Whoa.. we got to get him outta here." Gage said. He almost tried to sit but then remembered Roy's warning about where his stokes was.

Bonnie under his blanket, barked in warning.

He only half paid attention to her being there.  
"What the h*ll is wrong with him? I don't get it."

"Relax Johnny.. Brackett's been called out on scene. That helicopter you're hearing might be his.  
Or maybe even Marco's already. He's gotta get a doc's move order before he goes anywhere." Roy said.

"I know that.. I know that.. Geesh.."  
Johnny waved his good hand, shooing Roy out of the way. "Gil,, hey, could you just ah.  
Hey Gil ! Turn that monitor this way.. I wanna take a look at it.."

Gil raised both eyebrows from where he was running a strip off Marco and purposely turned the view away from Johnny's line of sight.

"Oh, for crying out loud.. I only wanted to-"

"Gage.. You're a patient here. So act like one and just lie back and relax.." Gil said,  
crossing his arms together from where he sat on a stool.

Roy and Brice grinned when Johnny's face pinked up with anger away from his original shocky pale shade. "This is my own stationhouse,  
my own district, H*ll, Marco's my own crewmate for Pete's sake! And I'm the resident paramedic."

DeSoto made a wrong answer game show noise sound effect. "I'm the only official resident one ON duty one.." Roy said.

"Yep. You're on the injured list, Gage, by every rule in the book.." Brice interjected.

John kept up his quiet litany of complaining.  
"..I'm supposed to fuss.. It's my job.."

"Ours now.." Gil piped up.

Gage mumbled, out voted. "Ok ok ok, Got your point.  
Now Gil, if you don't level with me, I'm going to skewer you!" he said, menacing his injured hand.

"Hey.." Chet said, grabbing Johnny's arm and pulling it back down again. "You'll loosen my bandaging there buddy.. I worked hard immobilizing that.." Then he checked his watch and saw that it was once again time to release Gage's tourniquet to let in blood flow. He let go the band.

Johnny hissed in pain, glaring at Chet. " Agghh!  
Why didn't you do that when I was still unconscious?"  
he grimaced, watching a stream of blood well up inside and soak through his bandages.

"I did do that. Five times.." Kelly complained. Then he played heavy eyes on the others.  
"Man, I don't know how you guys can get through your average workday as paramedics. Do you always get patients who mouth off as bad as Gage here? Talk about taking some heat. And I thought just dealing with an actual fire was bad. Johnny, stop being ungrateful. This is saving your hand. Not to mention saving your life.. And guess who's doing THAT.." He pointed proud thumbs at himself. "You're going to owe me big time.."

Gage ignored Kelly. "Don't change the subject, Chet.  
Gil,...How's Cap?..Are you going to tell me at least that?"

"Stable.."

"The girl?"

"Stable."

"Me?"

"Grumpy.."

"Oh, haha.. And what about Marco?"

The light moment in the room, fled.

Roy spoke up. "We'll all hear about that once Brackett gets here. I see him coming. He's in the tan jumpsuit and he's brought along the big guns.. A huge, orange diagnostic field pack." He said, ducking low and peering through the open outside door to the boulevard.  
He could just see Kel making haste in their direction.

Gage spoke up, as he too, could see the brown haired doctor coming. "Maybe that pack's for me. You know, surgical stuff. This rod's gotta come out of my hand. The artery's been nicked."

"Don't count on it.. I'm seeing Atlanta CDC labels all over it.." Roy said.

"What??" Johnny gasped.

----------------------------

Photo : Johnny and Roy looked stunned.

Photo: A defibrillator that lies open.

*animated gif * A running EKG showing elevated ST segments on a V-Tach.

Photo: Chet, at night in the bunkhouse.

*  
From : "patti keiper" Subject : [EmergencyTheaterLive] Deeper In.... Date : Sun, 27 Oct 2002 21:12:20 +0000

Roy spoke up. "We'll all hear about that once Brackett gets here. I see him coming. He's in the tan jumpsuit and he's brought along the big guns.. A huge, orange diagnostic field pack." He said, ducking low and peering through the open outside door to the boulevard.  
He could just see Kel making haste in their direction.

Gage spoke up, as he too, could see the brown haired doctor coming. "Maybe that pack's for me. You know, surgical stuff. This rod's gotta come out of my hand. The artery's been nicked."

"Don't count on it.. I'm seeing Atlanta CDC labels all over it.." Roy said.

"What??" Johnny gasped.

The shadow got nearer, and Kel came through the door into the bunk room.  
He paused a bit while his eyes got used to the dim lamps in the space and the first bed he focused on was Marco's.

Roy stood from Johnny's stokes,  
shoving the stethoscope waving around his neck out of the way when it snagged on the edge of Gage's wire bed in his haste to get near Brackett to give him his report,  
"Doc, glad you're here. He's worse.  
Much worse. We're trying to cool him down some."

"Oh? What was his temp?"

"One hundred three, taken R."

"Good thing for the ice down.."  
Dr. Brackett said as he checked what IV was strung and the flow of O2 running on his patient.

Roy added more, "Marco's BP has become low enough to warrant that EKG, we've had a strip going ever since I got a basement BP, about five minutes ago.  
Glad you ordered that epinephren for him earlier. I think that's the only thing keeping him viable here."

Brackett was studying the EKG strip Gil had stretched out on a table top and the live one showing on the station's heart monitor. "Ok,  
I want a twelve lead here from this double one. See that arrythmia in the QRS interval? That's most likely pathological."

That hushed up everyone. Until Brice spoke up. "We knew he was sick. That was apparent on initial findings."

"Yes, but have you ever seen someone with a cold downgrade so fast?" Kel said.

Roy, Gil and Brice all looked at each other in alarm.

Roy didn't even have to say anything.  
Then he eyed the bag Brackett had brought with him. "You know something we don't doctor? I recognize the insignia on that pack of yours.."

Brackett made sure there were no civilians in the room near them who would overhear. Then his face fell into serious doctor. "I called the CDC on Marco's symptoms just before I flew out of the heliport. I remembered why Lopez's presentation seemed so familiar to me."

"Doc, don't keep us in suspense here."  
Johnny said from his stokes. He had an elbow propped up behind his dirty head and had Bonnie on top of his stomach, calming her fretting with absent strokes. He had pulled off his nasal cannula so he could get it out of his face.

"Did you know that Marco left the country recently?"

"Yeah,.." Gil said. "Roy just told us here that he and his mother were attending a funeral for a cousin. A young boy.."

"Well that young boy is the center of attention right now in Atlanta.  
Seems he died of an unknown hemorrhagic syndrome that's already claimed seven in Mexico City.."

"Have they identified it?"

"No, that's why I'm here. There's every chance that Marco has run into the same bug that's killed the boy.. His etiology so far,  
is following the same lines as the boy's did before he died." Dr. Brackett said, pulling Roy's stethoscope off and using it around the EKG leads on Marco's chest..

Johnny Gage nearly levitated from where he was lying.  
Only the straps holding him in the stokes, kept him there.  
"Are you telling me that Marco's got some kind of fast acting lethal plague?"

"That's exactly why I'm here Gage.  
To either confirm or rule out just that scenario. Atlanta CDC's already on their way. They should be here by nightfall." Kel said.

"But we're in the middle of a disaster zone. We don't have time for a quarantine situation." Johnny protested.

"Tell that to the bug, Johnny. It was here days before that earthquake even so much as twitched."

Chet blanched. "Wait a minute, wait a minute.. Does that mean the rest of us might get sick from this thing?"

Dr. Brackett nodded reluctantly. "It's a possibility, but the course of the disease is still in the guessing stages. Seven cases taking place in another country with a language barrier in the way puts a damper on fast information exchange.  
We're working on it. Now my job here is to isolate Marco best I can until we GET those answers gentleman. And I'm sorry to say, but this room and station is off limits to anyone on the outside. Anyone who's had direct contact with Lopez,  
is staying right here."

Roy spoke quickly when Kel placed a hand on Marco's chest, pressing down the stethoscope's drum, trying to hear breath sounds over the noise of helicopters landing and taking off just outside the station house. "Shouldn't we just get him out of here to an isolation ward?"

"He's not a flight candidate anymore Roy.  
He's got rales in both lungs and they sound real wet. And the edema I'm hearing is rising, right into his trachea. Get a suctioning device. He's gonna need it. Standing orders you three," Brackett threw an authoritative point towards Gil,  
Roy and Brice's directions. "If his respiratory rate falls below eight. I want him EOA intubated."

"Right doc.." Roy said. And he and Gil hastened to make the changes.

"And slow down his drip to TKO. I don't want his circulatory system overloaded.  
Last thing he needs is to drown in his IV."

At that, Kelly's face screwed up in worry.  
Chet spoke as Dr. Brackett moved to a steel bucket filled with water, and watched as he reached into his bag and pulled out a pint of powerful disinfectant and poured it over his hands. He used the water to rinse off and a sheet to dry before moving on to examine Cap and Miss Thorne. "Shouldn't we all wear gloves or masks or something?" Chet asked.

"Too late.." Gage said. "Remember when I got that virus last year? If this germ's similiar, we've all touched Marco directly or indirectly already. We've all been exposed..."

"Yeah, but Brackett hasn't.." Chet said,  
nervously.

"That's his choice.." Brice commented and moved to give Brackett the run down he needed on the others in stokes in the room.

Kelly slumped against the bunk wall and leaned over, trying to absorb the bizarre news. "Man, can our day get any worse?"

Just then, Bonnie's low moaning turned into an agonized wailing of warning..

Chet leaped to steady Cap and Johnny's stokes on the four chairs when an aftershock seized up out of the ground. It lasted for more than a few seconds before the dead light fixtures overhead started to slow their swaying.

The master HT came to life on the desk and it was Stone who was instantly on. ##Everybody all right in there?##

Brice picked up the handy talkie and said, "At least, quake wise..." he muttered.

##Squad Eight. Would you 10-9 that?##

Brice immediately suppressed his morbid sense of humor, "Uh, 10-4, captain. We're fine.  
But uh, we're going to have to cancel that copter evac on the sick fireman. The doc says he's too unstable for transport. And .  
the rest of us will be staying right here with him for extenuating circumstances...." he said sighing heavily.. "I'm declaring a Condition Bio-Yellow, sir.."

## Excuse me, Did I hear that right?  
A Biological Hazard alert?##

"That's correct, Cap. Atlanta CDC has authorized Brackett in here to declare one if he felt the need. And he has.. At no time do any of you out there enter back inside the station for any reason.."

##Ten four, Squad Eight. Understood, quarantine protocol laying down. I'll mobilize accordingly. Any of my men to report to you?##

"That's negative, Cap. Just Gil and myself need to..and we're already here."

##10-4, Let me know details when you can. Station Eight out.##

A quiet sobbing from behind them caught their attentions. Dr. Brackett had roused Cindy from her half state with an aromatic capsule and had changed her oxygen mask for a cannula. She was sitting up with her back against the wall in her stokes.

Brackett was giving her a glucose injection into her IV, to help her get over some shakes.

He had discovered she was a diabetic from her own account. "What about my kids?" she said.  
"Are they gonna get sick too?" and her face crinkled in fear.

Kel couldn't answer that so he stayed silent.

Roy looked up from Marco's pulmonary care and said, "Oh, no. Ma'am. Not at all.  
You see, we got them all out before we even had contact with Fireman Lopez.  
They'll be fine.." and he tried to put on a convincing smile.

He saw Brackett nodding slowly in agreement as he put away his syringe into the sharps container on the floor.  
"Feel better?" he asked her.

"Much. I haven't eaten since five.. I-It's been a busy day..." Miss Thorne said bravely.

Dr. Brackett grinned for show. "That it has.  
And it looks like it'll be even busier for a while. Try to get some rest. I'll have one of the paramedics stop back in a while to recheck your blood sugar levels."

She nodded. "I'm sorry. I just didn't remember to wear my bracelet this morning. It was just ..I was so excited about bringing the kids here That I must have forgotten it...." and her composure broke again despite her best efforts to shore it up.

Kel wrapped a wool blanket he had found around her shoulders and snugged her up, brushing hair out of her eyes and away from the cannula.  
"Why don't you just try to relax.. Get some sleep if you can. If you've family to contact,  
we'll do that just as soon as the phone lines lighten up a bit.."

"A- All right.." she said, gripping his hand.

He had to peel off her fingers to leave.  
"It's all right. "he said, placing a grip of his own over her cool one. "No one is going to be dying. At least, not in here."

"Yeah.. " Johnny piped up. "That doctor leaning over ya is the head of Rampart Emergency Services and he's a d*mned good heart surgeon too.. No one dies around Dr. Brackett when he gets ornery, Miss Thorne.  
And right now, all of us paramedics are duck and covering, just from the sound of his voice alone.."

She laughed despite herself, and slowly her eyes closed as she dozed where she was on the wall. Brackett switched her IV to one of blood neutral solution and moved on to Cap's side.

"Captain Stanley..?" Dr. Brackett said as he took a chair near his raised stokes.  
He gave Hank a little shake.

"Hmmm? Oh, hi doc.. What are you doing here? Is it bad out there?" he said, suddenly remembering that he was on oxygen. He began fiddling with the cannula when the dryness in his throat from the oxygen just begged him to cough.  
"Have we backup here yet? The damage out in the yard was bad.  
There must be tons of people in trouble out there.."

"Surprisingly, no.. So I've been sent in here alone to look you guys over."

He saw Cap blearily frowning at the ceiling when the familiar surroundings confused him.  
Dr. Brackett pinned down his deja vu.  
"You're in your station bunkhouse, captain.  
And there's a helicopter triage center right outside, for your situation update."

"Does that mean we're getting out of here soon?"

Dr. Brackett and the others exchanged looks.

Stanley didn't miss the exchange. "Hey, fellas, what's the problem here?  
Why-- why haven't we been moved out?"

Johnny turned his head from where he was sitting up next to Cap and sighed.  
"It's another virus Cap. And the originator isn't a monkey this time.. It's Marco himself.."

"What?!" Cap tried to sit up but Dr. Brackett restrained him.

"Hey.. now just lie back. No sudden moves until I check out that head injury in a little more detail."

Cap blinked, still trying to gain focus as Kel looked at his eyes.. "Is he all right?"

Kel didn't say anything, reluctant to;  
until someone else did.

"He's serious, Cap. Blood pressure's in the basement. And his chest is filling up."  
Roy said. "But his EKG still looks fair.."  
he tried to smile for Cap's benefit with that slim good news.

Cap swallowed hard lying completely still as harsh reality finally sank home.  
"How about us? Anyone else sick?"

"Not yet. But all are at risk I'm afraid.." Dr. Brackett said. Then he changed the subject. "Hank, are you seeing double or any flashes of light, or anything abnormal? Ringing in the ears,  
pain or headache? This is a pretty sizable lump I'm feeling on the back of your head."

"No, doc. Nothing odd at all. I feel basically fine.." he said. "Listen, doc.  
Shouldn't you be with Lopez over there?  
I'm nowhere near the invalid everyone insists I'm to be.. . In fact, I should be getting up to help YOU.." and he tried to rise.

Brackett stopped him firmly.  
"No. Stay. He's been seen, too. You're my second to the last stop. Gage's surgery to repair that carpal artery, is next.."

Cap got through the rest of Kel's exam,  
showing no remarkable deviations, but he had trouble hiding a few sobs of frustration and helplessness as he tried to get through it without making a verbal sound.

Dr. Brackett pretended to tune out the emotional weakness playing out on Cap's face. "Think you need the O2 some more?" Kel asked him.

"No.. Why don't you save it for somebody else?" he said distractedly. "My head's clear now.." Stanley said very quickly.  
Then he lifted his HT. "Station Eight this is Engine 51."

"Cap, what are you doing?" Chet said, looking up from his wrapping more dressings around Gage's hand.

Cap set his talkie momentarily onto his stomach and he glared at Kelly and said. "Stoker's got a right to know about Lopez and what's happening in here. It would be wrong for us to keep him in the dark about his condition.."

Kel raised inquiring eyes to Roy.

"Doc, Mike did have close contact with Cindy over there, and I was near him also a lot of the time, while we were treating her. He might be a quarantine candidate.." DeSoto said grimly.

Dr. Brackett replied. "Then Hank's right in calling him in here.."

"D*mned right I am.. And I'm not liking it that he's part of this whole nastiness either.." Cap snapped.

Everyone froze when the HT responded to Captain Stanley's earlier heads up.

##Go ahead, Station 51. You're up,  
Hank? That's great news! I'll be sure to tell my whole crew all abo-..##

"Ben, I know about the quarantine.."  
Stanley said cutting him off. "So don't try to buffer me with false enthusiasm.  
Just send my man Stoker in here.  
He's been pegged as a risk factor.."

There was a long pause on Stone's end. Then a click. ##He's on his way in.. He's been on your engine's wash down preventative detail so he's had no direct contact with anyone else except those medical casualties in your group..##

"Understood, Stone. Engine, 51. Out."  
Cap said, and he laid his head back down,  
clutching the HT as if holding it would somehow get him out of the nightmare he found himself locked inside.

Hank sighed as Dr. Brackett finished taking his BP. "Take it easy.. I'll keep you up on the latest developments, captain."

"Appreciate it, doc.."

Gil was just giving Kel the verbal rundown on Johnny, with Gage adding footnotes,  
when Mike Stoker appeared in the doorway.

His happy face that the earthquake hadn't claimed more than a few buildings was an image no one wanted to shatter.

But then someone, finally did........

-----------------------------------

Photo: B & W, Mike Stoker.

Gif: A red earthquake alert gif

Photo : Station 51 as it was before the earthquake.

Photo : Roy prepping a bolus..

*  
From: Katherine Bird .uk Date: Mon Oct 28, 2002 2:30 pm Subject: Reaching Out..

Gil was just giving Kel the verbal rundown on Johnny, with Gage adding footnotes,  
when Mike Stoker appeared in the doorway.

His happy face that the earthquake hadn't claimed more than a few buildings was an image no one wanted to shatter.

But then someone, finally did........

"Hey Mike," Chet called out as he carried blood soaked dressings from Gage's hand towards a medical waste bin. "Ever heard of the old adage, 'From out of the frying pan and into the flames?'

"Yeah...."

"Well, you're gonna wish you had a life net to bail out onto for this one, pal.."  
and he chucked his sodden bandages into the trash can with an angry overhand.

"Kelly!" Cap admonished. "There are a million different ways to break bad news and only you could've picked the worst way possible.."

"Cap, what's he talking about?" Stoker said mildly.. "Stone sent me in here,  
saying that I was to be a triage "go-for.."  
he said, still clueless. Then he saw Marco's shirt open and the gear for a pulmonary critical lying out on his bed; the suctioning device,  
the defibrillator, the running EKG monitor and the unopened esophageal airway. "He's going bad? Oh my g*d." And Stoker started over to him, pulling off his fire gloves, thinking he had been called to be a CPR standby for him.

"Don't go any nearer to Marco, Stoker.  
And that's an order.." Dr. Brackett said, stopping him. "I won't allow it."

Stoker pushed the doctor's hands away,  
unthinking, but Kel again held him back.

Roy interceded verbally from where he was raising the head of Marco's long board up onto piled blankets to make breathing come easier. The water had long soaked into the sheets and only fast melting ice remained around him. These Roy piled into and under Marco's armpits.  
"Mike, it's not what you think. Lopez is-- He's not in danger of going out on us here. At least, not yet. What Dr. Brackett means is that if you come nearer, you'll be assuring a better chance of possibly becoming sick. You of all of us, are the least likely to have been exposed so far. You're here because you were in the yard earlier and because you were side by side with me after I got Marco out."

Stoker's face fell and his angry look completely blanched into one of shock.  
"He's ill with something real bad?" he gasped as he tried to digest the horrid news.

Dr. Brackett let him go.  
"I'm afraid so. It seems Marco recently had a small cousin die from a fast acting hemorrhagic fever type infection that's completely unknown to the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta.  
We're guessing your coworker contracted that same illness after attending the boy's funeral last week in Mexico.  
We find that he's exhibiting a massive systemic deterioration that is following a similar pattern to the one the boy suffered during the course of the disease."

"He's going to die?" Mike said.

"Not if we can help it."

Stoker's haunted eyes flicked from Roy's to Cap's and back to Kel's and he fell speechless.

It was Johnny who addressed Stoker's stunned silence. "Mike, Dr. Brackett's fully loaded with equipment. And the CDC's going to be here any hour to help us sort out all this mess. Marco didn't get sick until almost a week had passed following that funeral.  
So it'll be a while before any of us comes down with it. We have time on our side."

He knew he had missed his mark entirely when Stoker erupted in uncharacteristic reaction.  
"Yeah?! Tell me another story.  
Marco may not even HAVE that Johnny!" Stoker said. "Why else would you be set up for an imminent crash?" he said throwing a hand out to Marco's equipment thick bed. "I'm not quiet because I'm thinking about myself here.." he snapped. "So spare me your platitudes..!"

"Hey.. Now losing our heads isn't going to solve the prob--!..." Cap said, shouting.  
He immediately cut off for his yell had made his head shoot pain all the way down to his toes and he winced with a strangling gurgle, that was almost a sob.

Captain Stanley covered his face with his hands, in a vain attempt to gain control.

That made Dr. Brackett narrow his eyes in new concern and he moved over to Hank's wire stretcher to speak quietly with him for a moment about it.

Cap's inadvertant cry had cooled his arguing crew's fire better than any withering "Cap" lecture ever could. All of them were cowed and silently they all got to work preparing and setting up everything they would need to preserve the ordered quarantine.

--------------------------------------

Dusk had fallen, and all scene responding helicopters had been called off until first light.  
There was only one still scheduled to come in, to risk a night landing in a few minutes and that was the chopper bearing the Atlanta disease control experts.

Dr. Brackett, and those unwounded,  
chose to sit on the floor, lined up against a wall all on a side, as they found themselves blinking, and still unresting, while they waited for a tell tale "thwop" of helicopter blades to come out of the starry skies.

Their eyes similarly studied the tracing blip of activity on Lopez's monitor, hopelessly caught in its desperate amber dance, and the tiny light from it set their faces apart from the surrounding darkness.

The only sound in the sleeping room of Station 51 was the wavering rhythm of Marco's irregular EKG as PVC's started marching more and more frequently across the screen.

The EOA, still lay packaged and unused, on his abdomen.

Dimly, in the background, they heard the shouts of firecrews and rescue workers outside, still sorting through the earthquake neighborhood for casualties.

Bonnie, at last, had fallen into a fitful sleep. And the seismology reports finally coming in from Geological Survey, were showing that the ground was doing the same as well.

The tiny aftershocks that came, barely jarred them from their frightening private reveries.

Then there was a rustle as Roy excused himself verbally. He got up, stepping over pairs of legs and moved to the desk on the far side of the room.

There he sat down in the squeaky desk chair turned on a battery lamp, and reached for the phone.

The others slipped back into their irresistible snoozing as he began to dial out.

Roy's face was now dust free, and the cut on his forehead had been tended to and bandaged, but the care he had received did nothing to ease the pain he was feeling inside from being away from his family. When the last number tumbled into the dialer, he did his d*mndest to keep all trace of it from his voice.

"Hi hon. It's me again. No, the last tremor didn't shake us too badly. Well, only Johnny complained about that one because his Bier block was starting to wear off. No. no. He's fine. Dr. Brackett did some terrific vascular work on his hand and that metal rod came out without problems. Miss Thorne's coming along. She even had some soup earlier. Cap's better too. Doc finally authorized some MS for him after he was convinced that crack on his head was all superficial swelling with no underlying problems. Heh. He's even started captaining again. Well, unofficially of course.  
He's driving the other engine companies nuts asking for reports every half hour from his stokes. Yes, I heard. Only fifteen have died. We were very very lucky.."

Roy's eyes filled at his next question. "H-How are the kids taking this whole "daddy's stuck away"thing? You didn't tell them everything did you? Good. No point to doing it, really, until you and I both have our answers. No, they're not here yet. And LAX is not taking any calls about any rescue operation's ETA. They're saving themselves for emergency inflight and relief traffic correspondence, only for situations priority marked in the disaster zone. Yeah. I know. Yeah, I-I'm agreeing with you, Joanne. The station's definitely in that area, but this virus thing is only secondary in their priorities."

He held the phone away from his ear and actually almost grinned when his last statement brought a tirade of reaction from Joanne about exactly what she thought of the Los Angeles County Fire Department /FEMA protocols..

When she was through, Roy spoke again, answering her next question. "No, he's about the same. We're keeping him comfortable and we've managed to drain some of that fluid in his lungs. I'll be frank because we've agreed to be thoroughly honest with each other..There's been some problems. Blood's beginning to show in his sputum and his temp's going up despite the ice baths.  
No, he's still breathing on his own on one hundred percent O2. "

He broke off actually grinning.. "You're beginning to sound like a paramedic here, with all these questions, you know that... And what did Chris just say, I didn't quite hear him.. Oh. LOL! 'That's because mommy's married to the best one in the whole world huh?....' Thanks for repeating that hon. That was cute."

Roy closed his eyes trying to picture his wife and son in his mind sitting at the dining room table, on the phone with him, but the picture wouldn't come. "T-That was very cute.." and his voice cracked.

"You don't have to call Rose Marie Lopez on his update Joanne . Vince is already there with Marco's mom. Yeah. He went there himself before the news broadcast the station as being downed in the quake on the TV.  
Listen hon, I'll call you the moment we know anything more, all right. I've got to go.  
Time for vital sets all around. And I see a few saggy IV bags above a few stokes, too,  
that need changing over.

"Yeah. You WILL most likely know sooner than I when the CDC arrives. D*mned press. They almost got in here once. If it weren't for Bonnie, we would have been neck deep in plague panicky reporters once they learned the quarantine orders weren't viscious rumors.

"On channel five? All right, I'll try to peek out a head at ten and wave when the live broadcast outside starts up. No we've no power. But I've got a watch.  
I can do this. Might cheer up the kids..

"Those reporters need a scare or two to get off the driveway anyway.  
Cap's already crawling out of his skin over the damage done to the station vehicles. It'll do him some good if I can get them all to just to clear off. "

He grabbed a water bottle and opened it but he didn't drink, at her next words.  
"I - I love you too, Joanne. H- Hug the kids for me, will ya? Talk to you in the morning...Yeah, I'll let Marco know you're praying for him. Bye."

And he set the phone down with a soft snick into the receiver.

Roy got back over to the populated end of the bunk room and returned to the others, reluctantly.

He had just sat back down to take a sleeping Miss Thorne's BP, when Marco on the bed, suddenly seized into a convulsion.

Chet was there instantly, "Dr. Brackett!!"

Brice, Gil and Roy jumped to their feet in moments, right behind Kel.

They scrambled, reaching for......

------------------------------------

*animated gif* An English Paramedic Ambulance.

Photo : Johnny popping epinephren shot caps.

Photo : A shot of the squad and turnout coat,  
with full gear boxes.

--------------------------------------------

End Part One...

******************************** From: Sam Iam Date: Tue Oct 29, 2002 6:14 pm Subject: Setback

Special Website Acknowledgement for Episode Images being provided from...

Guest....KMG365 at Tigger's E Stuff Website http://exit3./~ffaller/emergency/

Also special thanks to site EMS Medical Consult : P. Keiper NREMT Minnesota

-----------------------------------------------

He had just sat back down to take a sleeping Miss Thorne's BP when Marco on the bed, suddenly seized into a convulsion.

Chet was there instantly, "Dr. Brackett!!"

Brice, Gil and Roy jumped to their feet in moments, right behind Kel.

They scrambled, reaching for......

Marco's longboard and the O2 mask on his face.

Johnny, jarred awake by the shouting,  
knew immediately what was happening at a glance. "Tip him over, guys, tip him over!" he said from his stokes.

Brice and Gil each grabbed an edge of the long board and then turned Lopez onto his side, gracelessly.

Roy slid Marco's non rebreather mask out of the way and angled Lopez's head back, lying his cheek on an arm. In between Marco's violent spasms, DeSoto pulled out the short oral airway that had been over Marco's tongue and snatched up the suctioning tube lying idle on the bed, he paused as he checked for signs that Lopez had vomitted. "He's clear..." he said, throwing the probe aside and replacing the mask down over Lopez's nose and mouth. "Most likely because he hasn't eaten since this morning..." Roy stayed closely by his head, one eye intently watching the motion fluctuating ECG while the others moved into action around him.  
He sighed, seeing a bite stick wasn't needed when Marco's jaw released at a touch.

Dr. Brackett nodded, agreeing about the lack of aspiration as he listened to the seizing fireman's chest with a stethoscope. "He's clear here, too.  
There's just that prior edema. All right. Let's get him back supine. Easy.. and tighten those straps. He's working them loose."

Everyone watching, held their breaths as Marco's breathing came in hard gasps as his convulsions rattled the metal bedframe underneath him. Chet did his best to stay out of the paramedics way while making sure Marco didn't hurt himself.

Mike, took a few steps nearer but stayed back, still uncertain and a little frightened about getting so near to Marco's illness.

Craig Brice looked up from where he was pulling a backwash of blood from Marco's original IV with an empty syringe.  
"Serum glucose doc?"

"You bet. If it's below 80 mg/dL, inject 25 g dextrose D50 IVP. These seizures might not be just febrilly induced. His blood sugar may have taken a nose dive or skyrocketted."

Brice moved to a glucose monitor and quickly got a baseline off of his red top.  
"It's 62."

"Follow up, Brice. That dex and 100mg Thiamine IV. I don't want him to lose a heart rhythm." Dr. Brackett said.

"On it."

Kel looked up at Gil. "Sheppard, run in a second IV, Normal Saline wide open. We'll risk the fluid overload. We need it for his sedation med. We'll bump it down after we've gotten these convulsions under control. Ughh." he grunted, helping Roy keep Marco's airway open. It took both of them to do it, when a bad series of shudders bucked him more violently, underneath their hands.

Chet, meanwhile had gotten the resuscitator near and had set the demand valve mask available on Lopez's pillow. "Thanks," Kel said to Kelly. "But he's doing fine so far, even breathing broken like this."

Roy looked up. "Time for diazepam, doc?

"Yes, draw up ten milligrams. We'll titrate into his IV until he responds. If that doesn't work, we'll use Ativan, 2 mg IM. He's too shocky for paracetamol."

----

Miss Thorne was covering her eyes to keep herself from looking, and Cap noticed. "It looks scary for Lopez with those convulsions, Cindy. But he's not feeling any pain with them at all. Marco's muscles are just kicked into overdrive because of the low sugar in his blood and because of that fever. They're going to settle him down in just a sec here so he can breathe normally."

Roy prepared the syringe of medication Dr. Brackett had ordered as fast as he could. He heard Cap's reassurances to Cindy, but didn't look up. "Doc, want me to do it?"

"Give it here.." Kel said to Roy,  
reaching out for the medication. "Take over watching his airway, Kelly."

"Got him.." Chet said, firmly taking Marco's chin and head so he wouldn't obstruct as Dr. Brackett let go.

Kel pushed all the air out of his syringe needle until the diazepam geysered high and then parked the newly strung and running NS IV Brice handed him under his arm to hold it while he injected the muscle relaxant slowly into its drip chamber..

They all watched for signs that Marco's convulsions were ending.

About twenty seconds later, they did.

The EKG monitor bleeped a changed beat alarm when the V-tach settled into a more solid sinus rhythm. The frenzied PVC's died away from the tracing pattern.

Dr. Brackett set a hand on Marco's chest to feel for his respiration status.  
"There. That's better." he said about the ECG. Then he looked up again with a slight frown. "Kelly, hyperventilate him a few times. The diazepam's suppressing his intake a bit."

Roy removed the old nonrebreather mask from Marco's face,  
as Chet took over with the demand valve.  
Kelly made sure it was sealed well over Lopez's nose and mouth.  
Then he thumbed the positive pressure trigger on the demand valve, until he had delivered four vents carefully into Marco's lungs.

Dr. Brackett had out his stethoscope again. "Ok, hold off.." and he listened to the bubbling breath sounds.  
"That's all he needed. A boost. He's back.."

Everyone gasped in relief and even Johnny let out the breath he was holding.

Dr. Brackett smiled, pleased. "At least that was one problem easily solved.  
Get Marco's head elevated again while you're there, Kelly would you? And Gil, you can TKO that normal saline now." The dark haired doctor moved to turn on a strip from the monitor to take a closer look at how Lopez's heart had handled the incident.

Roy had a question. "Doc.."

"Hmm?" Dr. Brackett said, not looking up.

"We lost all the ice around Marco.  
Do you want us to replace it?"

Kel shook his head. "The diazepam will shut off that fever parasympathetically on its own. We can always get some more if his temp rises again. Get another one for reference for now,  
all right?"

Roy nodded. Soon, he had a reading.  
"One hundred one."

"Down. Despite the convulsions."  
Brackett remarked, satisfied. "Let's monitor his respirations to be sure they're stable."

Gil, was getting a new, dry blanket for Marco when Stoker came up hesitantly.  
"Need help with that?"

Sheppard grinned warmly, knowing the mental obstacle Mike had had to overcome to just be there. "Sure.. Tuck in that side, but keep his chest uncovered. We have to eye his breathing rate for a while."

"Yes. I heard.." Mike said.  
Then he looked down..frowning.. "Hey doc.."  
he called out. "Look at this.. He's developing a rash or something. It's breaking out on his chest."

Dr. Brackett stopped his ECG reading and bent over the bed. He felt Marco's throat and larynx, but found no swelling at all. "Hmm, no signs of anaphalaxis here yet... And his color's good. This looks more like an urticaria or a secondary maculopapular rash to me... but ah, following up on the first angle,.... Roy, Johnny... does Marco have any known allergies to medications?"

"No, doc.. He's NKA on just about everything.  
Well, everything except for an intolerance for putting up with one of Chet Kelly's jokes."  
Gage quipped.

"Oh very funny, Gage. Would that be like ah, say your own marked intolerance for any strikes aimed at you from the Phantom??"

Kel grinned. The banter meant the firehouse gang was starting to relax again. "I heard about that whole one upmanship going on, from Dixie, a while ago. Who finally won?"

"I did."  
"I did." said Johnny and Chet simultaneously.  
They made sharp stares, glaring at each other and then let they both ..let ...loose.

"I had the last word!" Chet insisted.

"No I did! Remember my very very slick "Are we going to eat off the table?" delivery line? Man, Chet. You fell for that completely, hook line and sinker. And don't deny it. The whole gang were my witnesses.. Isn't that right Marco..?" and he patted Lopez's shoulder despite the fireman still being unconscious.  
Mike Stoker piped up. "Chet was the last one to "one up" there Johnny, if I recall."

"No, I thought he was er, I was.."  
Gage cocked his jaw, thinking back. He wasn't quite sure about that fact himself and it showed in his eyes.

"Sorry, Gage. But the Phantom match, I do believe, went to Kelly."  
Cap said, with an amused smirk.  
"I wasn't directly involved or targetted with water bombs in that particular week of shenanigans, but I did follow all the action VERY closely, back then."

"You did?"  
"You did?" John and Chet said as one.  
They looked at each other once more but this time, in complete and utter surprise.

Then Chet asked. "Hey Cap. How did you know?"

"Well, usually, all the water in the station is either in the Engine tanks or the sink when I don't have someone stuck on mop detail." he steepled his hands together over his chest as he thought back "Annnddd I .  
noticed the dry, hot Santa Ana air that month suddenly got suspicious humid, only inside the station."

Kelly and John both flushed red when they realized they had been outfoxed by Cap the observer,  
despite their efforts to hide the misadventure.

"Didn't take long to find out what you two were up to.... at all.." Cap said, pleased as punch.

Johnny complained after he picked up his jaw off his chest. "Well why didn't you stop him from doing all that from the beginning?"he pointed at Chet. He winced when that pointing hand was his post surgical one. "I must have spent thirty dollars in laundering bills and re-polishing streetside shoeshines that week."

Chet sniggered but immediately stifled it.

"Well, Gage.. Let's just say I had money riding on the outcome.." Hank trickled.

Chet and Gage's eyes both widened in surprise at their captain.

Stoker couldn't wait to elaborate. "He made out like a bandit, boys, while you two were playing Phantom.  
Called your every mutual moves play by play."

"Oh- oh yeah?" Chet said, gaining back a bit of timid bravado in the face of finding out about his superiorly ranking boss's less than honorable conduct. " Just how much did you win off us, Cap? We do have a right to know.. You know, for the loss of face we suffered, the butt we must have been in every other shifts' table jokes as you gave them gritty details behind our backs.."  
Kelly huffed low in his throat. "Pah.  
I'll just bet C shift must have been the ones who ran that betting pool that Cap cleaned up in."

Cap grinned evilly around his O2 cannula as he suddenly shook his head slowly in the negative.. "Kelly,.." he tapped his ample nose, twice at the curly haired fireman. "...about the winnings.." he chuckled. "And...hate to break it to ya fellas, but...." and he took in a big satisfied breath, "I was that all secret kingpin.."

Johnny and Chet fell utterly speechless.

Even Roy's eyes got larger and he blinked,  
almost sticking himself with Marco's sedative syringe that he was holding onto, to document usage spent, before he caught on to what he was doing, and reset it carefully back onto the table.

Captain Stanley smiled at his audience.  
"You gotta remember, a captain's ALWAYS on top of any situation.." Hank said with aplomp. "At a fire, or.." he said with mystery,...".. just waiting for one.."

With that, he turned over in his stokes and went back to sleep.

Dr. Brackett chuckled as he snugged up Marco's blankets to his neck when he was convinced the ill fireman had good control over his breathing and airway on his own. "Glad I work in a hospital.."

"Oh? You mean, Morton, Dix and Joe, don't get you with zingers like this one every so often doc?"  
Gage asked, lacing his fingers behind his head. He grunted when he knocked his injured hand against the wall.  
He had forgotten about it.

"No. Doesn't happen. Everyone's always too busy to do that sort of thing being always up to their eyeballs in emergency cases, Johnny." and he grinned.

Dr. Brackett got up from Marco's side to make a note on his runsheet about the new rash spreading on Lopez's body. He made it a point to keep it the first thing to mention to the CDC team, when they arrived.

And soon, the long awaited for chartered helicopter.. zoomed over the gaping hole in the roof of the shattered fire station to land on the boulevard.

-------------------------------

Photo : Chet looking worried as he provides resuscitation to someone.

Photo : Someone preparing an IV up close.

Photo : Chet and Marco in a lighter mood.

*  
From : "Roxy Dee" Subject : [emergencytheaterlive]The Grade Four~~ Date : Sat, 02 Nov 2002 08:41:36 +0000

Dr. Brackett got up from Marco's side to make a note on his runsheet about the new rash spreading on Lopez's body. He made it a point to keep it the first thing to mention to the CDC team, when they arrived.

And soon, the long awaited for chartered helicopter.. zoomed over the gaping hole in the roof of the shattered fire station to land on the boulevard.

In a wash of dust and debris, the foot rungs touched earth and five people got out, loaded to the hilt with sophisticated supplies and from the back, a mobile pallet of lab equipment from the chopper's cargo hatch. Police got them all through the clamoring press surrounding the station and allowed them to go into the barricaded off back yard.

Once there, two of the five member team suited up in biohazard gear for entering the station, while the others stayed back to set up support tents and a rudimentary decontamination station out of the sight of public eyes.

Captain Stone looked up from his place in the center of triage command and his thoughts turned once more to his fellow firemen held hostage not by smoke or fire, but by a germ.::Just how the h*ll are we gonna fight this ?:: Troubled deeply, he turned back to his organizational operations and tried not to feel helpless.  
He mentally hoped Captain Stanley would keep him updated on any news as it happened.

The advance team's leader, a smallish, petite woman, picked her way through the fallen rafters and bricks in the garage to the bunk room. She went without preamble, to Dr. Brackett's side hefting a field autopsy kit, and a heavily sealed liquid nitrogenated container labelled extreme biohazard. This she set safely down in the middle of a tabletop.

Kel looked up seeing them. "About time you got here, doctors. Marco's symptomology's advanced beyond your projections."

"Sorry. Didn't count on breaking through a military line at the airport. The Guard was called out to maintain order because of your recent developing environmental setback. " the woman replied, grinning through her plastic face piece.

Kel grinned. "Is that what you microbiologists call an earthquake?"

The ginger haired, french braided woman looked up, setting the rest of analysis gear onto an empty bed. "It can be, to us in the CDC, that can also mean the fact that this contagion might have succeeded in jumping an international border."

Roy and Gil and Craig had looked up with alacrity from their medical monitoring just a minute before and were still stunned at the sight of the fully suited doctor.  
::My god. This is more serious than I realized.:: Roy thought, eyeing up the woman's white bio-tunic, clearly air sealed. She had on a SCBA tank but her mask was not in place beneath her transparent hood.

Then, the second member of the CDC's First In team joined her, having come from where he had placed microlab instruments in the lamp lit kitchen.  
"Jamie, the kitchen area looks intact,  
I'll have our team give it a wash down and have it covered. I've already told them to place our mobile lab in there.."

"Understood, Steven.." she replied,  
her very blue eyes, glancing up at him.

Then Roy overheard something else which made him glad Marco was still comatose.

The woman scientist eyed up her study subject with the skill of an analyst, noting the rash, the abnormal EKG and the fluids hung over Marco's head, and what percentage O2 he was on while she spoke.  
"First thing, we're going to confirm or refute the theory of Mr. Lopez truly being our Patient X in the U.S. as the boy was for his country in Mexico City. We've brought pathological tissue samples from the Lopez child to verify any infection commonality in both him and Marco. So far, you'll be pleased to know, Dr. Brackett, that we've learned the disease most likely isn't transmitted by airborne vectors.." she said looking up. "Three of the victims down with the illness have no sign of insect bites."

Kel said, "That's a relief, this summer there are insects a plenty. Glad they aren't a factor we're going to have to worry about here." Then he noticed the others watching quietly from where they were. "Oh. Sorry all. " He gave introductions to the rest of the room.  
"Everyone, this is Doctor Jamie MacPherson, head of the Special Pathogens Branch in Atlanta.."

Roy and Johnny nodded. And so did everyone else but their uncertain looks remained on their faces, each looking emotionally worn in the dim battery light of the room.

Dr. Brackett turned to Jamie's companion, "And this is her assistant head, Dr. Steven Taylor. These two are the people with whom I spoke this afternoon after we concluded your rescue call Roy..."

The others didn't have anything to say, reduced to a slightly fearful silence by the frightening advancing reality of the circumstances surrounding them.

"Gentlemen and maam.." Jamie said.  
"I know it's a little startling, having us appear like this, off a hightech, night flying helicopter, suddenly invading the scene in the midst of an already ongoing disaster. Myself and my associate are both geared like this strictly for precautionary measures. I'm happy to say it's been looking more and more that, whatever the contagion is, it infects only by direct body fluid transmission. So some of you who didn't handle Mr. Lopez may eventually prove to be uninfected. This mode of transmission is collaborated by the fact that the seven other Mexican victims have all have been reliably reported as having physically touched Benardo, as they prepared him for burial."

Gil spoke up. "H-how do you explain Marco falling sick then? He arrived there much later according to Roy here.."

Jamie cast her eyes down. "The boy's mother said he kissed Bernardo on the cheek before the casket was covered.."

"Is she one who's sick?" Johnny asked. "I-  
I mean, if Marco wakes up, he's gonna wanna know.." he said softly..

"Yes, Mr. Gage." Steven said. His suit crinkled as he sat on a stool at Marco's bedside, to read the chart Doctor Brackett and the paramedics were keeping on Marco. "She was still alive last report, as of a half hour ago."

Miss Thorne timidly wrapped herself tighter in her wool blanket. "Is there anything you've found that may... prevent or slow this disease yet?"

"Miss Thorne, we can't treat for anything yet beyond standard life supporting measures until we know exactly what it is we're dealing with here."  
Jamie said. "The wrong medication or antibiotic could alter immunophysiologic responses and actually allow this unknown disease to run its course even faster instead of buying any time."  
she answered.

Gil asked one more question. "Has anyone infected held up in the face of this disease?  
Any one recovering?"

Dr. MacPherson sighed. "No. That's what made us tentatively classify this outbreak as a possible Grade Four."

"Grade Four?" Roy asked, "Forgive me for being ignorant but I'm unfamiliar with that terminology." he said, trying to smile without nervousness. "It must be something my partner and I don't deal with in the field working as paramedics.."

"So you two are the ones who directly cared for Mr. Lopez? I need to ask you a few more details once Dr. Taylor and I get set up here.  
But to answer your question..."  
Jamie looked up from where she was skillfully drawing a blood sample off Marco, even with her suit's gloves on. "That ranking means a germ with a very high virulence and killing factor, Mr. DeSoto. There are only six known illnesses in this category that we know about, that have rapid fever with bleeding with its onset. Machupo Plague, Lassa Fever, Nipah virus, Hendra virus, Junin Plague, and the last,  
is one newly discovered, the Ebola virus.."

"Ebola...." Chet said with rising fright. "I've heard of that. Oh, man.. it wiped out a whole village in West Africa last year.. Is that what Marco's got?"

Jamie raised a gloved hand. "No,.." she insisted.  
"This body rash doesn't come with Ebola. This strain's new or rare. All we know is that it takes effect very very quickly and that it is a hemorrhagic syndrome type virus. Most likely in the Flavivirus family. Also, there's every chance that this bug may be another mutation of Dengue Fever, in its stronger variant , which is only fatal 30% of the time. Of those, there have been seventeen types of DHF discovered in the last ten years."

Cap blinked, "Ok,.. Just ah, what can we do here to help you doctors out? I know for myself I want to do more than just lie around waiting for answers." He had been awake ever since the helicopter's motor blade noise woke him up.

Jamie bit her lip, tilting her face inside her biohood. "Well for starters, I want to know as much as each of you can tell me about Marco's illness, when he got sick, what his initial symptoms were.  
What worked in making him feel better.  
That sort of thing. Details might give us something more to work on.."

Roy spoke up. "Well, he had laryngitis real bad last night. It started a few hours after we all had a bad fire. Marco complained of a sore throat..."  
"And I noticed bloody patches in his nasopharyngeal area when I put in an oral airway this afternoon, doctor.." Gil replied.  
"Don't forget how O2 made his cough better."  
Chet added.  
"And how my mother's medicinal tea helped out too. Honey and herbs." Johnny said quickly.

Steven shook his head and held up a glove, and his pen poised over the chart.  
"Wait a minute. Wait a minute. One at a time.  
Slow down. Let's start from the beginning ok?"

And they did.

Soon, no one had anything else to add.

Jamie read back what she had to everyone to reiterate. "...and then, Dr. Brackett, you said an instigated Glucose IV push, and diazepam along with some forced O2, ended his febrile seizure?"

"That's correct. And his temperature went down two degrees from Roy's initial finding."

"Got it.. Now, if you'll excuse me, Steven and I are going to compare this blood sample from Marco with those we have of his deceased cousin to begin a baseline analysis.." Jamie told them.  
Then she looked at Kel, switching to all doctor.  
"We're planning on using two virus isolation methods here, Dr. Brackett. First, a polymerase chain reaction analysis followed by an antigen capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay."

Kel nodded. "I agree that a PCR and ELISA comparison will reveal any marked pleomorphism under the microscope.."

Cindy piped up. "Pleo what?"

"What the germs are shaped like, Miss Thorne.."  
Steven replied. "A vital clue which might tell us what we're dealing with.."

"Can I help you with anything?" Kel asked.

Steven and Jamie looked around the room at everyone in stokes. "Can you leave your patients?"

Roy spoke up. "Doctor. He can. Besides me and my partner, Brice and Gil are paramedics, too. We'll be fine."

"Ok. Let's get at it then.." she nodded,  
satisfied. Kel and Jamie and Steven rose from their chairs, leaving with the path kit and the tissue cryo case holding the dead boy's tissue remains.  
Marco's vials of whole blood also accompanied them to the kitchen,  
where the newly erected, makeshift biolab awaited.

The firemen, paramedics and teacher were left alone with their thoughts.

On his bed, Marco startlingly moved, emitting a low moaning noise...

Brice, Roy and Gil hurried to his side,  
to determine Glasgow status.

"Marco?!" Gage called out..

Lopez reacted by....

----------------------------

Photo: Dr. Brackett looking at your pupils with a penlight.

Photo : Photo of Miss Thorne, in closeup.

Photo: Of a blood filled IV bag.  
Photo : An awake Marco with a bandaid on his head.

Photo: Station 51 at night.

*  
From : "Clairissa Fox" Subject : [EmergencyTheaterLive] Darkest Before Dawn.. Date : Sun, 03 Nov 2002 06:11:08 +0000

The firemen, paramedics and teacher were left alone with their thoughts.

On his bed, Marco startlingly moved, emitting a low moaning noise...

Brice, Roy and Gil hurried to his side,  
to determine Glasgow status.

"Marco?!" Gage called out..

Lopez reacted by....

...groaning again, but his encrusted eyes,  
didn't open.

"Hey! Somebody help me down from here. I want to be the first one to talk to him. Now." Captain Stanley ordered. His voice held undeniably firm authority.

Craig and Chet lifted Cap's stokes off the two chairs it was lying across and set it onto the floor. Hank grabbed their hands as they each also gripped a shoulder to help him sit up, gingerly. .  
"Wait, Kelly.." Craig said when Chet tightened the grip in one of his hands to give Cap leverage to get to his feet. Brice glanced at Hank. "Don't lie to me when you answer this. I'll be able to tell by your eyes. I don't care if getting you up was an order or not because you're officially sidelined. Morphine still making you dizz--? "

"West is that way Brice!.." Cap pointed towards the open exterior door with his HT's antennae. "Now get me up!.."

"Right. You're fine.." Brice said two seconds later. "Chet, make sure he doesn't crash into anything." he replied, his resistance crumbling.

Stanley instantly pushed to his feet by himself before anyone could help him further.

Kelly hastened to get Cap's oxygen tubing trailing behind him properly and snatched up his D tank to follow along as Cap made his way shakily to Marco's longboard on the bed.

"What about me?" Gage complained.  
"I'm not dizzy."

"No, but you were shocky post surgical.  
Get your BP up to normal and you can join him." Brice dismissed Gage's jibe with efficiency.

Johnny cut off his rejoiner when DeSoto's quiet vocal urging began.

Roy was examining Marco's eyes with a penlight. "Marco.. It's Roy. Can you understand me? If you do, I want you to open your eyes.."

Lopez didn't, but he kept stirring restlessly in his fever.

DeSoto took a pen out and dug its cap into one of Marco's nail beds, pressing down hard.

The pain made Marco grunt and jerk his hand away and he coughed under his oxygen mask but he didn't form legible words.

"Should we go get the docs? If Marco wakes up more, he might be able to tell them about how he's feeling." Stoker asked.

Roy said. "No. We're gonna let him know what's going on here first. He might not even know that we were even IN an earthquake. That in itself is going to be one h*ll of a shock."

Craig reached into the drug box and pulled out an aromatic capsule, holding it up questioningly.

"Yes.." Roy nodded, taking it from Brice.  
He pulled down Marco's O2 mask so that it was sitting by his mouth on his chest. Then he cracked the aromatic in two, waving the capsule under Lopez's nose, following after his nostrils with it when Marco tried to avoid its fumes.

Lopez's eyes finally opened with startled coherence.

"Marco.. you with us?" Roy asked again.

"Whaa?" Lopez coughed wetly, getting rid of the ammonia stench in his nose and finally,  
his eyes worked to focus on faces.

On a thought, Hank pulled off his own O2 cannula, and he hastily hid it in his shirt collar to spare Marco some worry.  
Cap set a hand on Lopez's shoulder.  
"Easy there, pal."

"*ugh.* C -Cap? " Marco asked blearily.  
"W-was I in a fire?" he said. "Hard to breathe."

" It's all right, Marco. We're dealing with that. You've got some lung edema but you've got O2 on. It's right here.." Cap said, placing the mask into Marco's sweaty hand.  
"Use it when you need it."

Roy got a blood pressure as he watched Marco recover clarity.

Captain Stanley went on, "Not exactly a fire Lopez. More like a ..well, an earthquake."

"What?" Marco whispered, his voice cracking.

"It hit the stationhouse, Marco." Chet said taking a stool by his head. "But everyone's all right. Nothing serious injury wise."

Marco felt night wind on his face and noticed the stars showing through the roof where the garage rafters had been. "Ohh.."  
"There's no roof?! H-How are the buildings on the rest of the block?? W-we gotta go help people.." he exclaimed, and tried to rise, but his board's straps prevented that.

"Oh, no. no. no.." Gage warned Marco.  
"We've plenty of help out there Marco.  
About eight engine companies worth. Casualties were light. We don't have to go anywhere so relax.."

"W--? Johnny. It's dark?.. Why am I still here if I'm hurt or something? Should've been to Rampart already." he gasped.

Cap and the others exchanged looks.

Then Stanley looked down at his dirty hands and said. "W-we can't do that Marco. Not yet.  
You see, there's another problem we're dealing with right now. But we've the best team around to help us out of this one. They came all the way from the other side of the country to--"

"Cap. Just level with me. Don't beat around the bush. Last time someone did that to me it was the day I found out my little cousin Bernardo had died." Lopez said.

Cap looked sharply pained and fought his emotion to the point of clenching his jaw to keep anything from getting out too fast.  
"Marco. It's not good news, just like the news was on Bernardo.."

"Is it mama? Is she ok??" Marco said with alarm. Roy and Gil held him down.

"She's fine. She's fine. The quake didn't reach the Palisades. Vince's already stopped in to check on her.." Roy said quickly.

"Then why do all of you look like someone died?" Lopez said.

"That's because, there's a very real chance that all of us just might do that, Marco."  
Cap said to the point and very very raw.

"I don't understand.." Lopez said.  
His EKG picked up a little in stress and he started to gasp until Roy made him take a few breaths off the O2 mask.

Captain Stanley continued. "Your cousin didn't go from some fluke fever, Marco. He was ill with something..." he sighed heavily.  
"..with something no one's ever seen before.."

Lopez paled. "And now I got it? And the rest of you?"

Cap just nodded. "It's a very real possibility that we've all been exposed. The docs here from Atlanta are working on the problem, even now, right here in the station.."  
he said, trying to smile. "Shouldn't be too long before they pull a couch or two out of the housefire."

"I'm going to die?" Marco asked.

Brice immediately replied. "No. It hasn't been confirmed what illness you have.  
So far, you've just a fever, and some fluid in your chest and a skin rash. Nothing we can't handle.."

Marco blinked. "Craig? But you're working for eight. Your station's here?"

"Yes, Captain Stone is right outside, running triage operations, with Cap here." he said.  
"Couldn't resist the call to dig out a couple of fire engines from their own garage, know what I mean? Had to save Cap here some face somehow.."

Captain Stanley hefted his HT to encourage Marco that it was true.

Lopez didn't say anything, and he just blinked at the ceiling, the nightmare still not yet accepted.

Roy spoke up. "We're doing everything we can here, Marco. We're just under a temporary quarantine until we get some answers. And we've turned it into a regular campout.." he grinned. "Look, soup stove and everything."

It faded when Marco's eyes filled and he began to sob softly.

Roy went on. "I know things sound bad. And Cap and I know how you feel. It feels like everything all around you has..kinda been turned upside down and it's not a pretty picture to be waking up to.  
But know that we're in this together, Marco.  
A firecrew never abandons one of their own."

"You got that right.." Cap agreed.

"There's two very very good doctors here,  
a Steven Taylor and a Jamie MacPherson.  
And Dr. Brackett's been telling us that they are simply the best of the best in their field. I wouldn't be surprised if they...wrapped up things here in just a couple of days.."

"But what about my family in Mexico? Are they still safe?" Lopez asked, angrily wiping away tears.

"Yes. Bernardo's mother is ill but holding her own. But there are seven down there with the same symptoms as Bernardo's.."  
Roy replied. Then he looked down, fussing with an IV that didn't need attention. "And.  
yours.."

"So why didn't you bail out when you could everyone?" Marco said, his frustration and anger building and he pegged them all with a viscious glare.

"Marco. Calm down.." Cap said.

But Lopez wouldn't listen. "I tried to! Only I wasn't running for the kids when the bricks started falling down all around me.. I just ran for the door.. Yes, that's what I did.."  
he sobbed. "Some hero, huh.?"

Stanley sharply told him. "Lopez. Stop. Getting into self pity isn't going to solve--"

"Don't you see, Cap?.. I ran! I'm sure you guys were real puzzled why I was in the kitchen instead of the garage with them." he cried,  
his eyes blinded by frightened tears. "And I wish to G*d I could be running away from all this right now..." he whispered. "Oh,  
Bernardo!... Oh, Mama!... I'm sorry.. I'm so.  
sorry...Lo ciento por su dolor y herido.." and he started to cry in heaving choking sobs of grief and shock.

Cap hugged him, and held him tightly as Marco finally gave in completely to his terror and fear. "Lopez. It's all right. We're here. And we won't be leaving you pal.  
Not by a long shot.."

"I want to die.. I want to die.. Oh, Bernardo...."  
Marco's sobs died away.

At his silence, Chet moved forward. "He's out again?" Kelly asked with alarm, swallowing.. He helped Cap lower him slowly back down again onto the longboard.

Roy looked at the EKG and took a pulse.  
"No. Just sleeping. "

"What was wrong with him? I mean, I- I've never seen Marco act that way, Roy.."

DeSoto met Chet's eyes. "Its nothing. He's a little raw partly because of the fever, and the diazepam, and most likely, from some inner feelings he's been suppressing ever since his cousin's funeral. Not the first time someone's buried family and then not reacted to it until weeks later.  
He'll be better emotionally after a good nap."

Johnny piped up. "Yeah, Chet. He's a human being, so give him some slack.."

"I am. I am.. It was just a little frightening seeing him come unraveled like that."

"Well you would too after surviving a funeral,  
the complete destruction of your workplace,  
an earthquake, and then capping it all off by coming down with a potentially lethal plague..Come on, Cap. Let's get you back to bed.."

"I'd rather stay here, if that's ok with you.  
Gage.." Cap said. "I can recupe just as well from a chair as a stokes.."

"Ok. Just have Chet put your O2 back on.."  
Johnny said, rolling over to get some rest himself.

Roy nodded in agreement and soon, Chet and he left Cap studying Marco's sweaty face as he slept fitfully.

Cap was almost dozing from the heady effects of the O2 cannula when he realized that Marco and he were no longer alone,  
on just a feeling. He opened his eyes.

Miss Thorne had gotten up and she had moved to the chair Roy had vacated. "He's almost my age.." she said gently. Cindy reached out to Marco's face to brush away a tangle of wet hair with compassion.

Cap grabbed her hand, and shook his head,  
preventing her from touching him.

"It's all right.. You firemen aren't the only ones known for self sacrificing oneself. And there are two million teachers out there all across the country who'll agree with me on just that point."

Captain Stanley smiled and let her go.  
Then he afforded her some feigned privacy as she leaned down to admit a secret to his sleeping crewmate.

Cindy wiped away Marco's tears with a gauze pad and bathed his face in a cool cloth as she talked. "You know Marco. You weren't the only one who wanted nothing else but to run today..." she told his sleeping features.."Stoker here had to tackle me to keep me under that kitchen table until the quake had ended. So I think there's a bit of cowardice in all of us. It's not surprising to me that the ground failing beneath our feet brought some of that out in both you and me.  
But I'll just bet there hasn't been a single fire that you've ever seen where you didn't just go charging right on into it without hesitation. So you're one up on a whole lot of us teachers in the bravery department, Marco Lopez. Those kids knew that coming here today. And so did I... Just sleep...Things will be brighter in the morning. They always become that way, with the dawn.."

In reply, Marco's EKG, slowed into deeper rest.

---------------------------------

In the station kitchen improvised lab, Dr. Steven Taylor and Dr. Jamie MacPherson made a startling discovery on their specimen slides.

They found.......

-----------------------------

Photo: Cap at night calling on his HT.

Photo : Chet sitting up in alarm on his bed.

Photo : Marco looking very serious.

Gif : A peaceful California dawn by the ocean.

*  
From: Date: Tue, 5 Nov 2002 14:56:21 -0800 (PST) Subject: [EmergencyTheaterLive ] The Red Devils--

In the station kitchen improvised lab, Dr. Steven Taylor and Dr. Jamie MacPherson made a startling discovery on their specimen slides.

They found.......

...bacteriophage. Simple, unknown;  
completely undifferentiated bacteriophage.

"Steve. Come look at this. I pulled it off the firemans' gram negative stain." Jamie gasped through her contamination hood.

Dr. Taylor joined her and bent down into the microscope. "Look at that Shepherd's Crook morphology. Could this be an RNA filovirus?"

Jamie shuddered. "We've only hypothesized that evolution of phage in theory as a zoonotic model, no known living specimens are known to exist."

Steven was thoughtful. " Zoonosis? Mexico has plenty of mammalian carriers. Mice, birds..."

"Yes, but those vectors are everywhere. What is unique in Mexico city and nowhere else?" Jamie said.

"It's tropical around Marco's family's neighborhood. Monkeys?" Dr. Taylor theorized.

"None that are native.. Bacteriophage are weak transferring to foreign or human bred hosts. It would have had to evolve in one genus for decades to mutate to an infectious state strong enough to cross species barriers. Mexico has no native simians."

Steve was finetuning the microscope as he dressed his sample with an enzyme catalyst to break down the virus into its separate constituents.

He took the slide off and shook it while the solution broke it down.

Then he replaced the slide. "Oh my g*d.  
Jamie,.. they're reassembling despite the protein dissolver.."

"Self assembling? Retrovirus! That's a class neither virus nor bacterial, millions of years old." MacPherson said.

"Then our contagion's host will have to be at least that old, too.."

"Insectoidal?" Jamie guessed.

"We ruled that out. No bites on half the victims, remember?" Steven sighed.

MacPherson was undaunted.  
"The Marco house is deeply inside city limits on the edge of the mountains.  
No animals crawling in from the forest would go unnoticed there."

"Birds?"

"Too inefficient a metabolism for a retroviral infection. It would never survive in them."  
Taylor said, "I've tried on computer models."

Jamie frowned.. "Their dogs and cats, and pigs and chickens were sacrificed by investigators. Couldn't have been them,  
they were all clean.."

"Those animals are also young species.  
None older than a few hundred thousand years. Domesticated genetic lines. They can't be our hosts."

Dr. Brackett had finished a toxicology series on Marco's blood samples and looked up when Dr. Taylor and Dr. Macpherson showed up in front of his work station. "Any progress..?" he asked.

"Retrovirus.. Zoonotically transmitted.  
Our unknown is showing marked Shepherd's Crook pleomorphism and resistance to enzymatic lipase breakdown.."

Dr. Brackett's eyes squinted and he blinked in reaction. "A retrovirus? I thought those were extinct and found only in the fossil record."

"Not for some.." Jamie admitted. "The genus is rare, but can still be found in the wild.  
Just like the Listeria strain of cyanobacteria is still found in Yellowstone's hotsprings. That is living despite it being continually poisoned by our now oxygen rich atmosphere.."

"Let me take a look at it.." Kel said.

Taylor and MacPherson held out their hands to him to sit at the stool before the microscope. "Be my guest.." Taylor sighed. Then he pulled off his biocontamination hood. "We don't need these anymore.  
This one can't reinfect anyone without an animal host.."

Jamie concurred, shedding her biosuit too. "Totally true.."

"Then the quarantine is unnecessary?"  
Dr. Brackett said.

"Completely doctor.." Steven told Kel.  
"Only body fluid precautions are necessary.  
Like you would do for any hepatitis or meningitis patient in one of your wards. Anyone healthy would be able to easily fight this off."

"Marco wasn't healthy and so he got infected."  
Kel realized. "Most likely because he was burning his candles at both ends helping out his mother and working fires here. Roy did tell us that no one has gotten a lot of sleep for the last four days.."

"Most certainly.." Jamie agreed. "And we hadn't been able to see these spirals and hooks until now, because when we got to the boy,  
he was already dead too long to present them clearly, except in the one splenic blood sample the forensic doctors managed to obtain.  
Your fireman's blood slide, has just made our problem crystal clear doctor.."  
Brackett caught a site of the deadly,  
yet ancient retrovirus on the slide. He clearly saw the purple staining of the enzyme lipase chemical that Steven had added earlier, but the tiny contagion stubbornly held together in its spiralled stringed, oddly hooked shape. "Frightening. This germ is technically not alive here. But you're telling me that it can still reproduce?"

Jamie nodded, agreeing with the hospital doctor. "Ummhmm. Just by latching onto any cellular RNA and telling it to make more retroviral capsules, with its own RNA, instead of normal stem cells."

"Then what causes the symptoms and the fever and the bleeding?" Dr. Brackett wanted to know.

Jamie said. "I have always hypothesized to my superiors that retroviruses have a piggyback contagion living in symbosis inside the spore capsule. Each, separated from the other, is harmless,  
but together in combination..."

"Deadly and fast.." Dr. Brackett agreed.  
Dr. Brackett lifted a handy talkie wrapped in plastic on the table.

It was linked to both the triage center outside and to the CDC team working in the firehouse backyard.  
##This is Kelly Brackett inside Station 51. I'm lifting the quarantine.  
There's proof positive on further non transmission.##

Dr. MacPherson lifted her own. ##Confirming the order Atlanta base. We're in the clear.  
Bodily fluid protocols restrictions only..##

"How long will it take your people to use these slide images to identify the organism?" Kel said.

"Only as long as it takes to take a polaroid slide image here and transmit it over TV satellite to the CDC.. Our specialists will peg this in within minutes if we've seen it before.."

"Then do it.. "

Jamie started laughing..

"What's so funny doctor?" he asked.

"I just learned the best way to do that doctor and it's even faster than our finest military.."

"Oh?"

"Use the reporters." she said. "They'll spread those images like wildfire. And the CDC will get them seconds after they air.."

"Are you crazy? What about the panic that would cause doctor?" Steven said.

"What..." she said dismissively. "You mean the earthquake hasn't already accomplished that?  
We can just label these pictures X Case Influenza and they'll be none the wiser.."

Steven started to snicker too. "Heh. Clever girl.."

"I'm afraid I don't understand.." Kel Brackett said at their amused expressions.

"X Case is CDC code for "identify and confirm this".;  
Doctor Brackett. The word Influenza is bogus.  
Jamie wants to add that to make any viewers think we have just the flu in here to settle them down."

Kel smiled too. "I'll go along with that.."

"I'll get right on it.." Jamie said.  
Soon, she had a polaroid of the slide showing the retroorganism stains and was jogging out the kitchen to head through the garage and the waiting press milling about outside for the ten o'clock news broadcast about to go on the air.

A minute later, she was back.

Dr. Brackett turned back to Steven Taylor.."Uh, doctor, in your theory, what's the best way to treat retroviral hemorrhagic fevers?"

"Aggressive fluid management. I've tested Idouroxidine, an anti-tumor medication, against bacteriophage of this virulence...and I've had good results.." Steven suggested.

Jamie immediately countered. "That's against bacteriophage Taylor, not retroviruses. No one's ever seen an active retroviral epidemic before.."

Brackett silenced her with a growl.  
"Not until now.. I'm willing to try anything.. Marco Lopez's too unstable to wait any longer on a solution.. Even if it's just a temporary one.. He and seven others in Mexico are counting on us to help them now.  
Even if it's just a shot in the dark!"

Jamie sighed, but let her colleague continue advising Dr. Brackett.

"I'd try 150 mg IV QID for starters.  
That might arrest the synergistic bacteria in operation with the retrovirus's cellular division.."  
Steve said.

Kel nodded his head, remembering something. "I have some already here. One of my senior paramedics had an unknown Asian Virus last year and I still had some viable doses available. I included them in that field bag you advised me to pack."

"You know these injections will be stop gag at best.." Jamie said.

Dr. Brackett washed his hands in the kitchen sink and dried them in a sterile towel. "I know.. But until we learn the animal who's the principle carrier from which to isolate an anti-viral serum, slowing down Marco's deterioration that way's the only hope we've got.."

Suddenly, Chet's face peered through the kitchen door. His eyes got real big when he saw that the two microbiologist physicians were out of their containment suits. He shoved aside the door and said. "Hey, Dr. Brackett. You'd better get in here.. Marco was conscious for bit and talking.. Roy says he's still that way and only dozing.."

"There's our chance to find out more clues about that carrier. Marco must have seen something down there that was new in his house animal wise.." Kel said, grabbing his HT for a reply from the outside.

The news story delivering the image of Marco's germ to the whole state began to air.

And Roy kept his promise by freaking out the reporters by leaning and waving from the station bunk house doorway so that his family and kids could see him.

"Anyone wanna take bets on how quick the CDC will call on our answer?"  
Dr. Brackett said, gathering his gear and moving back to Marco's side.

"No bets.." Steven said..

Chet was only puzzled when he overheard that little exchange.

Then he started laughing when the camera man jumped back two feet when Roy pretended a fake sneeze into his direction.

---------------------------------------

Dr. Brackett and Drs. Taylor and MacPherson all crowded around Marco's bed.

Gil and Brice both backed out of the way.

Craig said. "Ah, progress.. The quarantine's been lifted.."

Gil looked at him as if he sprung a third eyeball. Brice merely tugged on his own sleeve to show his unbeliever that Jamie and Steven were now out of their biosuits completely.

Gil caught on to that fact readily and accepted it eagerly. He knelt by Kel, telling him how long Marco had been conscious and how coherent he had been during those brief moments.

Kel noticed Lopez was indeed, sleeping. He gently shook his shoulders. "Marco. Marco Lopez. It's Dr. Brackett. I need to ask you some questions about your family's home in Mexico.. Marco.. Can you hear me?"

Cap jolted awake in his chair but then fell to listening when he realized an important discussion was about to take place.

Chet joined him, crouching at his side.

Marco's face finally animated and screwed up into an immediate liquidy cough that he barely managed to clear away in between breaths under his oxygen mask.  
His eyes opened fuzzily. "Brack?  
Am I out yet??"

"Not yet. Marco. Listen. This is very very critical that you hear me and answer as best at you can.." As he spoke, Marco's head sagged again into a half state.

"Marco!! Front and center!!" Cap shouted.

"Whaa? Inspection day already? Yessir!!" Lopez blurted out in sudden reaction. He started to give a mock salute but he couldn't lift his arm up all the way.. but his eyes snapped into a brighter wakefulness.

Cap grinned and added more. "Just listen carefully Lopez. This is not an inspection but a Q and A test. Reply to the doctors here as best you can."

"A-all right. I'll get 100 %. I- I..don't want.  
latrine detail agai---.... ohhh.."

"Marco. Concentrate.." Kel urged.

" t.......ryingggggg.." he sighed.

Jamie leaned in close to Marco's ear.  
"Mr. Lopez.. When you arrived to your family villa in Mexico. Were there any new pets the kids were playing with?.. Anything strange or new?"

"Pets? B- Bernado te gusta jovan gatos y..."

"En Inglez,.. Marco.." Cap said.

"Oh...hhhh uh, Bernardo likes kittens.  
Always new ones from the vineyards..."

Jamie and Steven shook their heads.  
"Marco. Marco. How about something from the hills.. Something not domesticated.  
A mammal of some kind.."

"Mama senora,.. ella es loco que se manana con el Diablos Rojos en la cielo noche porque ellos come en su flores..!" Marco wailed in his fever, still not very coherent..

"What?" Taylor exclaimed at the apparent spanish gibberish..

Chet said, straining to understand. "Wait a minute. Wait a minute.. I think I understand a bit.. Marco and I have a bet running that I can learn enough spanish to impress his mama by fall to win a complete,  
homecooked--"

"Chet! Now's not the time..!" Cap roared.

"Ok, ok, ok... Uh.. I think he said that the Donya Arana or the head woman in his household was going crazy that morning because of "red devils" from the night sky eating in her garden.."

"Red devils from the sky?" Jamie frowned.

Then Taylor clinched it.. "Bats.. Can't be anything else.. Specifically,  
Flying foxes!  
They are all over Mexico. There's our sentinel anim---" he leaped up for the phone to reach his superiors in triumph..

Jamie leaned in to Marco as her colleague rapidly got into action with their team in Atlanta and those outside the station house.  
"Tell me more about the Red Devils.."

"Que? No comprendo....." Marco sighed as he fever tossed on his pillow.

Jamie threw up her hands in frustration.

Chet coughed and in very bad Spanish asked, "Hablas mas pero Diablos Rojos. Nosotros tenemos muchas preguntas. Es muy importante Marco.."

Cap even knew what that meant.  
"I'll say we have many important questions.. Lopez.. Stay with us!"

Marco began to shout, delirious.  
"Todos muerte! No vive no mas en la noche. Bernardo traes uno a mi Tija.. Soy Triste.!!! Bernardo!!"  
Lopez repeated his moaning words. Over and over..

Chet blinked in stress as he translated shakily.. "He keeps saying they're all dead. That they were no longer alive by nightfall. That the boy gave a bat to his Aunt after it had died to show her?  
Now, he's blaming himself.."

Marco's tirades continued until Dr. Brackett finally sedated him and turned him onto his side to rest. Jamie MacPherson started up on the Idouroxidine injection into his IV after Kel had gone on to examine Gage's status.

Roy returned from his tormenting the reporters and said. "Man, I wonder who gave them that germ photo? Doctor.  
did you--?"

"Yes, Mr. DeSoto we did.." Jamie said,  
gesturing for Brice to take another BP on Marco. "It was an end to a means.."

"W-wait a minute. Did you find your answers?  
You're both out of your biocontamination suits.  
That's great. Must be if the quarantine is lifted.."  
Roy said happily, folding his arms.  
"So why didn't you tell the reporters that too?"  
Chet snapped. "Because it isn't over yet ! Yes, we learned what it is and where its came from.. But the serum that Marco's going to need comes from bats, Flying Foxes, according to one of the docs here. Now tell me how in the world are we going to find the right ones in Mexico from the middle of a city fringe jungle rainforest in time to save him eh?"

Roy's face fell into lines deeper than the San Andreas Fault. "We can always hope, Chet.."

Jamie MacPherson looked up with a large degree of doubt locked onto her face.

Then the phone rang. Both the one in the kitchen lab and the one on the bunk house desk.

Jamie and Brice both leaped for it.

She was faster.  
"Dr. MacPherson.. in LACoF station 51.."  
Everyone held their breaths when her face proved it was Atlanta on the line.  
She listened for a while then.  
"I understand sir.. I- I 'll get right on it.  
Yes, mobilize the Mexico City team to collect the vineyard specimens.. Our victim says the dead boy played with some in the garden in the days before he fell ill.  
As you heard from Dr. Taylor, they are very probably our sentinel animal species.  
Oh, and chief.. We need one taken alive and sent here. I need to extract a blood serum from it.."

She set the phone down shakily and sank into a chair at the desk by the battery operated lantern. Gil came over and set a hand on her arm. "You ok?"

"Yes.. I- I just am a little stunned about the finding. We have a name for the contagion in our files.."

Steven Taylor came from the station's yard and from briefing the team outside.  
He saw the look on Jamie's face and Gil crouched near her offering her coffee and he asked. "Jamie.. What is it?"

"Steve, it's Grade Four Marburg.  
Boss's just confirmed it."

"Ohhhh..no. I'm so sorry..We're too late." Dr. Taylor sighed, leaning against the wall in defeat.

Dr. Brackett was less than gentle.  
"Ok. What's Marburg..?"

Jamie,s lips worked mechanically.  
"Marburg.. Theorized RetroViral Infection.  
Three known live cases recognized world wide in 1975.. Incubation period of 5-10 days, onset of the disease: sudden. Marked by fever, chills, headache, and myalgia. Fifth day after onset of symptoms, a maculopapular rash, most prominent on the trunk may occur. Nausea, vomiting, chest pain, sore throat, abdominal pain, diarrhea then may appear. Symptoms become increasingly severe and may include jaundice, inflammation of the pancreas, severe weight loss, delirium, shock, liver failure, massive hemorrhaging, and multi-organ dysfunction."

Her last fact came in a whisper.  
"No known cure.. All three reported cases were....100% ....Fatalities...."

A stunned silence filled the darkened bunk room.

Chet's face twitched in denial.. "No way.. no way man.. Not Marco.  
No way in h*ll!!"

Cap got to his feet and ripped off his nasal cannula. "Kelly, now getting upset isn't going to help matters any.."

Kelly's face was a mask of torture and deep deep emotional pain. It sullied his fine boned features, making a mockery of them. "I don't care anymore Cap! We .  
have taken.....just about all we can here! And so have I. Look at us.. " he said flinging his arms wide.  
"Just look at us, Cap! Johnny was almost crushed today, so was the engine and squad. Miss Thorne over there was almost gassed to death. You almost bought it too! And most of us here in one way or another.. Bonnie, too, for Pete's sake."

He started pacing and kicked over an empty water jug in his frustration and rage.. "I'm sick of this whole thing!  
Being stuck here, watching things deteriorate like this. So just take it back Cap.,, the whole g*dd*mned unlucky deck of cards we've been dealt over the last four days!! Cap, just make it go away. We gotta all return to base, we gotta all get some sleep, we gotta all be ready for a fresh start all together again,  
by wake up tone time.."

Cap started to move forward.  
"Chet...." he said softly. ."I would if I could pal.. Y- you know that.."

Chet screwed his eyes shut and tears flooded out."Ah, man..... not Marco..pleeaaasseee not him.. It's just not fair.." and he started to cry, sagging down the wall by Marco's head. He reached out and caressed Lopez's hair with a hand, sobbing. His wracking cries panged everyone listening and soon,  
Cindy rose to speak quietly with Chet where he knelt on the floor.

She said.....

--------------------------------

Photo : Cap looking very very small.

Photo : Marburg Retrovirus slide.

Photo: Chet peeking through the kitchen door in fear.

***************************** From: "Cory Anda" Date: Tue Nov 5, 2002 11:31 pm Subject: Panacea...

Chet screwed his eyes shut and tears flooded out."Ah, man..... not Marco..pleeaaasseee not him.. It's just not fair.." and he started to cry, sagging down the wall by Marco's head. He reached out and caressed Lopez's hair with a hand, sobbing. His wracking cries panged everyone listening and soon,  
Cindy rose to speak quietly with Chet where he knelt on the floor.

She said.....

"Mr. Kelly. Listen to me. Things aren't all lost.  
Not yet. Marco's still alive. And of everyone here,  
I've seen none who've hovered more often in concern and caring, than you. Things look dark. But if you've hit bottom, then there's no where else to go but up, is there?"

Chet didn't pay any attention to her, his face still buried in Marco's hair.

Then quiet, calm Mike Stoker said something very profound. "100% fatalities.." he mumbled.  
"I just can't believe that at all. They're just words..."

"What?" Chet said, looking up at his engineer coworker, wiping his red eyes and face with an arm.

"They're just words.. All of them. That complete phone call from Atlanta. That Marburg report.  
Dry. Dispassionate. Just facts. How can we trust its end-all be-all credibility?" Mike said, thoughtfully.

Miss Thorne began to smile. "There was never a thesis or report born that ever escaped revision. Mike Stoker, you're beautiful!" And she kissed him full on the cheek.

She went rushing off to find Dr. Taylor and Dr. MacPherson.

Chet's eyes immediately dried up into another emotion, one of jealousy.  
"Hey, how come you get all the chicks kissing you? Stoker, did you tell her it was you who revived her in the yard?"

Mike said, "Nope. No one ever told her that she had even quit breathing." Then he rubbed some knuckles on his shirt's badge,"Maybe she just likes the quiet rugged type of fireman.. eh?"

"Yeah?" Chet said, more like himself.  
"Well, how about a fireman who's not afraid to show his emotions openly.."

Cap piped up with a grin.. "Well, then,  
everyone in the room here today would be unbeatable Cassanovas now wouldn't they, Kelly, if that were true. No, Chet, I think it was something Stoker said that gave Cindy Thorne an idea on another matter."

"What do you think it was?" Kelly said,  
fussing with Marco's blankets.

"Don't know. Does it look like I have an answer to everything..?" Cap muttered.

"Absolutely.."  
"Yes."  
"Yes.."  
"Yep.." Roy, Gil, Brice and Chet all said to him.

"Very funny. I think I'll quit my day job and become a mountain guru and charge people for my answers.."

"Just don't sit on the wrong mountain.  
You may just get shaken off by another earthquake.." Roy kidded.

"Oh, yes.. Now there's one answer even I wish I had. I wonder what's happening out there?" and Captain Stanley lifted his HT to his mouth. "Station Eight, this is Engine 51. Got an update for us? It's almost daybreak. Your station still light on a few hands..?"

Gil, Roy and Chet and Brice all waved in protest and frantic denial, anticipating that Cap was actually going to have them reassigned to outside disaster detail because of the lifted quarantine. They all shook their heads rapidly and made all sorts of negative signs to silently block such a captain's action.

##This is Stone. Hank? We heard. The quarantine's over. Good going. Rooting for ya. Yeah, we're light staffed but upstate companies and crews are on their way to relieve us, even the Pasadena FD's on their way.##

"Oh,..uh....just checking to see how you were. Captain Stanley out.."

##10-4, Engine 51.##

Captain Stanley parked the HT onto one knee and levelled a look of "this better be good."  
at his men.

Chet voiced their excuse perfectly. "Didn't I hear a particular fire house captain among us say that a firecrew doesn't abandon one of their own?"

"Yep.." Roy and Mike said at the same time.

Cap just harrumphed and got up to turn off his own oxygen tank sitting by his feet. "Man, I'm hungry.. Did they give us some chow here anywhere?"

Three arms pointed to a nondescript crate by the water cooler.

"Oh, thanks.. Smelled the soup, Stoker made Cindy earlier. Anything else to go with it..?" Cap said, rubbing his stomach.

"Does it look like we had time to even think about food? Some of us haven't even slept yet.." Roy said without sting.

"Yeah, well. I was walking wounded there DeSoto. And I'm a glowing testament to your paramedic skills if I got my appetite back. right. Now,..who'd like some soup and whatever else I can scrounge up? Hmmm?" Cap asked.

Three sets of hands rose instantly..

"Fine.. I'm assigning myself chow detail for the day since I'm not cleared to captain anything yet. Just called me Cook if you want anything sooner.." he joked.

And he moved off to get his men, and everyone else able to eat and drink, some hot meals.

--------------------------------

Cindy was talking fast with Dr. MacPherson and Dr. Taylor. She was actually getting on their nerves with questions and nagging for details about Marco's bug. ".....so, your people have seen three cases like his..That's interesting. Hhmm. What I mean is..How truly were those cases like our situation? Were they in Mexico, away from professional help and treatments?  
I find it hard to believe that a bug like the Marburg would be singularly lumped in with Ebola, and Hanta and other virulent strains on a whim just based on a pathology report.."

Jamie MacPherson slammed down her file onto the table and she finally faced the teacher standing before her. "Listen,..Miss Thorne.  
My colleague and I have been trying to work around your prattling for the last five minutes.  
Now I draw the line on a civilian who's a little nervous when that same civilian accuses me and my organization of not doing a proper job."

"No offense meant, doctor.." Miss Thorne said genuinely.. "I'm just trying to plug for answers on behalf of a firehouse full of frightened firefighters who are sitting on the edge of their wits because an earthquake jarred them out of their normal lives like a bull in the china shop!  
I'm a teacher, and teachers question everything.  
Makes me very practical and worldly for my students if I'm absolutely certain of where I stand with any one subject. So I'm not questioning anyone's credibility here nor the CDC's tactics.. I'm only digging for a wider view.. Since when has any paper on a contagion written by someone else, ever stopped YOU from pushing the envelope..?"

Steven actually smiled as he continued making test slides of Marco's blood to find an effective dose of Idouroxidine to slow the Marburg's meiosis. "She's got you there, Jamie. Let see,  
you bucked heads with boss, what... seven times already this year on various subject matters??"  
he poked.

"Ohhh..." she huffed. "Stop ganging up on me,  
Steven Taylor. All right.. " Jamie said, dropping her work and snatching up Johnny's pot of luke warm coffee from the table. She poured out the plaster dust that was floating on its liquidy surface and grabbed a mug from the cupboard.

Changing her mind, she grabbed three of them. And started pouring.. "Ok,..You got my full attention Miss Thorne. And Steven's.. I always claim that I have an open mind across professions,  
so here's putting the money where my mouth is.  
So, shoot. What questions do you have about our poor sick fireman and his dead little cousin?  
I'll answer anything that isn't classified material.."

Miss Thorne wasted no time. "The Red Devils.  
Were they present for your other three Marburg victims? Did you know about them..?"

Jamie's face registered respect and a little surprise that Cindy went right to the heart of the same thought that had been nagging in her own mind ever since Marco's astounding account of them. "What??" she gasped.

A sudden fax from a battery generator run machine across the room, bleeped and came to life by the microscope. It got all of their attentions when it lit up with a transmission.

Steven walked over to it and waited for the sending to complete. "Wow, the main phone lines are up in the neighborhood.  
That was fast.. Italy's last quake took a week to reestablish full land line telephone service.."

"Like our firemen, " Miss Thorne sighed.  
"Our phone and power companies are the best in the country. They'd have to be, being under the gun of earthquakes all the time in our state.."

Steven snatched up the still warm sending from Atlanta.. "This is from Mexico.. Forensic photos of the vineyard.. "

"Let me see.." Jamie said, taking one and moving over to the dawn's rising light by the kitchen window. Natural debris settling in the night had freed up some daylight there.  
"They're all adult bats.. No juveniles.."

Steven looked up from another fresh report from the Mexico CDC team. "No fatalities as yet. Those seven are still holding. These vitals sets seem to be matching Marco's so far.."

Cindy walked over to Jamie, and handed her the cup of tepid coffee the doctor had left behind on the table.. "Here.. May I see that?"

"Huh.. ?" Jamie said, from a long distance away.. "Yeah. Sure.." and she saw the cup Cindy was handing her.." Thanks.."

"No problem.." Miss Thorne delicately took the color photo showing the decaying bats in the vineyard lying on the ground in the Lopez garden, and immediately noticed something.. "Doctor...."

"Yeah?" Cindy said, looking at aerial photos of the Lopez villa and the surrounding streets leading up into the mountains surrounding the city..

"Tell me something..I'm no bat expert here.  
But aren't all of these bats here males? I don't see any sienna furred females with them.  
One of my students did a report on Flying Foxes last week and I clearly remember there being color shade distinctions between the sexes..."

"What?!" MacPherson shouted. She grabbed the vineyard photo back and peered at it with a hastily snatched magnifying glass.  
Then she gasped and placed a hand on her mouth. "Steven!! Get over here.."

"What is it? " Dr. Taylor shouted, running over to them from the other side of the room, he stripped off his latex gloves and tossed them into a disposal bin near the microscope.. "I'm coming. I'm coming.."

"Look.. Miss Thorne's noticed something about the bats. They're all males.."

Dr. Taylor blanched. "Sex specific etiology on the Marburg host? Ohmy.." and he ran once more for the phone directly linked with Atlanta..

"Miss Thorne.. I love you.." Jamie said,  
excited. "Steven and I were so busy wallowing in self pity about that standing report on Marburg that we didn't see new alternatives... Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou..."

"What did I just set off? " Cindy said, genuinely puzzled..

"Mammals first milk. Full of antibodies that transmit to their babies in the first twenty four hours following birth.. The female Flying Foxes must have the ability to shake off Marburg to the extent of being able to survive long enough to transmit their immunity to their young. That's why the Marburg plagues of the past didn't make the species extinct! They've had millions of years to adapt to each other.."

"You mean, you won't have to wait for one of the Marburg victims to fight off the infection on their own to get a serum?"

"No.. For that serum's already been made.  
In the female bats of that stricken colony!"

--------------------------------------------

Steven was on the phone with his boss.  
"That's right sir. Find a gravid female near parturition. Isolate her mammarian pre-lactate and I'll just bet Marburg antibodies are there. They have to be. There were only dead adult males on the photos you sent us.."

Dr. Taylor had three others on the California team listening in on other phones too so they were being appraised same as Boss was. "Yes sir.. No, don't send your samples to me.. Send us the bat herself.. Or better, yet, send several.. This antibody might need a living metabolism to stay viable.. Make sure they're due to birth their young within the next half day.. Yes sir,.. I'll let LAX and the air force jet unit assigned to us,  
know. Thank you sir.. What was that?  
It was a civilian who pointed this out to us.  
She's a teacher who was caught in the earthquake here in the firehouse. Yes, I'll get her name for you. And sir, make a rush on this.. The fireman's nearly critical.." and Taylor hung up the phone..

He was almost dizzy with happiness about the possible Marburg Achilles heel by the time he rushed back into the bunkroom to tell the waiting firemen and paramedics about their serendipitous discovery through Miss Cindy Thorne.

------------------------------------

Dr. Brackett was all grins as he flew through waking Johnny, out of his shocky sleep. "Hey.. Johnny... Rise and shine.  
The sun's already getting up. So should you."

Gage coughed and he felt Dr. Brackett remove his oxygen as he blearily awoke.  
"What.. did I miss something important?  
Marco ok?"

"Yes, and not yet.. I'll tell you more while we eat.."

Johnny was immediately serious and he let Dr. Brackett sit him up and hand him some soup and jelly sandwiches that Cap had made for them both.

Soon, Johnny knew about the rare Marburg epidemic and the new potential cure for it so ironically discovered by Miss Thorne.  
"Teachers are smart. I'll admit that.." he grinned. Then his face fell. "So, will they manage to isolate some mother flying foxes in time before Marco...uh.."

"There's every chance.. Dr. Taylor told me they have air force jets scrambling just for us to get some here.."

"Those plague bats are coming here?"  
Johnny said, chipmunk cheeked.  
He suddenly lost his appetite and set down his once bitten sandwich.

"Something the matter with your sandwich? Shouldn't be with a fire department Captain on the chowline."

"No.. just not hungry.. I hate bats.."

Arfff!!

Gage smiled down at Bonnie.  
"Seems she agrees with me..."  
he said absently scratching her head as she lay in his stokes. "Here you go, darling.. Have some.."  
and he fed her his sandwich, piece by piece. The ravenous Yorky nearly ate his fingers. "Ow.." But he was grinning.

"You have to eat, Johnny, Or I'll have Brice start up another D5W IV on you."

"I'll eat. I'll eat.. Just.. ..gimme that soup bowl. I'll work on that.."

Dr. Brackett gave Gage the piping hot tomato soup thermos from the tray.  
"All of it or it's Brice over here in five minutes."

Johnny glowered, but drank every drop.  
Then he set down his bowl and leaned in confidentially. "Say listen doc. The other guys have been keeping me in the dark about Marco's true condition.  
Don't you think I should have the right to be in on that? I am a paramedic after all."

"And I am a doctor, surprise surprise. They aren't telling you on my orders, Johnny. It's a clearcut case of doctor /patient confidentiality. Roy, Brice and Gil are the attending medics, you shouldn't have to have that excess burden of worry.."

"It's no burden Dr. Brackett. He's my friend.  
And ..and ..and .. I just wanna know how he is...that's all.."

"He's alive.. The tones on his EKG should be telling you that. And that, is all you need to know.."  
Kel said, finishing his food and rising to attend his next exam of Marco.

"That' great doc. Just great..!" Johnny said sarcastically. But inwardly, he knew Kel was right.

Captain Stanley made an announcement following their meal. "Listen all, we're not needed in the disaster station outside, but even though the official quarantine is over, all of us have to stick close to base for an innoculation once one is isolated all right? Miss Thorne, I'm sorry but that means even you'll have to spend another day in the station house."

"That's ok. I've already talked to my family and they understand. They saw the news broadcast last night.."

"Good deal. The water's running so we'll have hot showers for now or later. I suggest we all get some sleep. Gil, Roy, Brice.. Dr. Brackett has asked for me to get a schedule from you three about sitting up with Marco. Who's first?"

Johnny raised his hand but Cap pointedly pretended he was invisible to the role call.

Roy got the first two hour watch over Marco.

"Wake me the first sign of trouble, Roy.."  
Dr. Brackett said. He stretched out onto one of the beds near the phone opposite Marco. "And Gil, I want to know if the biophones are working yet to Rampart. I'm out of the loop as far as emergency earthquake cases go, but I'll sleep better if I know Dixie isn't drowning in them over there."

"Got it doc.. I'll do a check right now.."  
he replied.

Gil dragged over the biophone and began a test rescue call. "Rampart, this is Squad 8 with frequencies check. How do you read?"

While Gil waited for a reply, Brice, Miss Thorne,  
Cap, Jamie and Steven all found sleeping bags or beds to lie down upon. The five of them were asleep in moments.

Gil got his communications check from Dixie herself and he too, nodded off on a portable cot.

Roy watched over them all protectively.

Even the sounds of the ongoing recovery and rescue operations outside didn't wake them.

All through the morning and into the afternoon,  
the outside attending firecrews made sure no harm befell those sleeping inside the crumbled Station 51 firehouse and it became something of a jealous superstition to go HT silent within sixty yards of their darkened bunkhouse.

-------

Craig Brice spelled Roy three hours later.  
"How is he?"

"About the same. I've only had to suction out his airway once. The EOA went in an hour ago.  
But he's still breathing. Watch that.  
He's in no need of atropine anytime soon. His pressure's holding so far.. Eighty systolic. But he's nearly unresponsive to the O2 now."

"But he's still fighting this fever.." Craig said, trying to be encouraging. Then he noticed the mast trousers Roy had inflated only around Marco's legs. His jaw dropped open in surprise.  
"You know that the suit's contraindicated with pulmonary edema.."

"I know that. But his internal bleeding's begun already from the virus. Only way I could get his BP to even register.. Had no choice."

Brice bit his lip thinking, then he finally agreed with Roy's choice. "Shouldn't harm him much then as long as that abdomen compartment is left uninflated."

"Glad you agree with me.." Roy said with some anxiety and a slight hint of anger. His protestation was mild at best.

Brice actually smiled ....kindly.  
"Get some sleep DeSoto. I've got him now.  
And I won't tell Brackett what you did. I'll take the blame if he finds out.."

Roy's face registered amazement.  
"You don't have to do that.."

"Yes I do. This is saving Lopez's life so the least I can do is save you from an inquiry. Brackett knows I'm already a stickler for protocol. Breaking that image he has of me on that for the first time will undoubtedly keep him from having it out with me officially until all this is over. Who knows, even then, he may not even remember the mast suit thing."

"Thanks Brice..."

"Anytime,..........Roy.."

Roy blinked. It was the first time Brice had used his first name ever. And it actually felt genuine. "See you after Gil's watch.."

"See you then.."

Roy took his time lying down and for a long time, the rising sun and stress kept him from fully relaxing..

But then, it was Bonnie and Johnny's snores that finally gave him surrease into an exhausted slumber.

Hours past.

Then...........

-----------------------------------

Photo : Brice close in squad.

Photo : Cap down, surrounded by gear.

Photo : A flying fox bat..

Gif: Biohazard warning symbol.

Photo: Dr. Jamie MacPherson working in a biosuit with the Marburg virus.

Photo : Electron microscope image of the Marburg Virus.

Photo : Roy and Johnny sleeping the sleep of the dead, late at night.

From : "patti keiper" Subject : [EmergencyTheaterLive] Ripples.... Date : Sun, 10 Nov 2002 06:41:44 +0000 But then, it was Bonnie and Johnny's snores that finally gave him surrease into an exhausted slumber.

Hours past.

Then...........

There was a creaking. A calculated sound of cotton socked feet hitting tiled floor.

Brice heard a hasty shush and a subdued whining from Bonnie behind his back. But he didn't turn around until Johnny Gage had tiptoed almost to the desk to where Marco's chart lay.  
He imagined the precise moment when Gage's hand connected with the metal of its surface..

Then he snaked out his own hand without looking and let loose.

Smack!

"Oww... " Johnny hastily whispered, angry.  
"Whatdidya do that for?" He said rubbing his reddening guilty hand.

Craig turned around on his stool and placed his stethoscope around his neck from where he sat next to a feverishly sleeping Marco.  
"It seems to me that you don't listen very well to your attending physician orders,  
Gage.."

"Whatdiya mean I don't listen?.. I'm one of the best paramedics Brackett's got. And unlike some people I know around here, I've never been written up.." and he pointed two sets of index fingers at the deeply snoring Roy,  
still lying under the brightening afternoon sun peeking through the holes in the roof.  
"I was just trying to..you know.. get a better feeling about Marco,.. you know..really put a finger on the pulse so to speak.." He tried to do exactly that and was rewarded with another stinging slap on his good hand for even trying to get near Lopez tactilely.

"Hey!!"  
Johnny sat on the second stool and tucked his hand in between his knees to ease its smarting. "Now cut that out ! Geez.  
I'd wonder if your kids aren't deathly afraid of you by now in any discipline situations of yours and your old lady's at your house. You could break some bones doing what you just did to me." He said sucking on his now twice throbbing hand.

"We never have discipline problems with our children, Gage.." Brice said, still smiling cooly and very self assured from where he was checking out Marco's breath sounds around the EOA tube. "Unlike you, they respect authority..Everything is precisely orchestrated and everyone knows what is expected of them to do at any one given time."

"You know, Brice.. Of that I have NO doubts.."  
Johnny threaded his own IV bag tubing from around his legs and hooked it onto his badge to keep it higher than his cath's entry site. He also loosen his uniform shirt a tad. It still had dirt and blood all over it. He made his way into the darkened locker room and rummaged around until he found a clean one from his own quake opened locker and replaced it, unbuttoning and buttoning it one handed. He was stubborn enough to not ask for help from Craig. Finally, he said.  
"You know what your problem is Brice?"

"No..but I can count on you enlightening me on the subject.." Brice grinned closed mouth.

"You're just too d*mned.......right all the time.  
I DID have no business sneaking up and reading Marco's status chart. But man, it's been eating me up only knowing part of the story.."  
he said indignantly throwing a hand at Marco's fluctuating EKG strip. The PVC's were back.  
"He could be throwing those because of a fluid loss intravascularly. And look, even his IV site and blood draw sites are beginning to hemorrhage on their own. He's got to be losing clotting factors by the pound.. "

"I noticed that, too, Gage. But Roy's taken steps here with these Military Anti- Shock Trousers."

That took Gage back, "He whaa?"

"Went around authority again and used them without the attending MD's order.." Brice said,  
this time without a grin. "And I am going to take responsibility for it when the time comes.."

Johnny was thoroughly taken aback.  
"Wait a minute. Wait a minute.. Roy uses questionable protocol and you're BACKing him UP?"

"Of course. The patient was going to perfuse less than optimally without them so I saw no reason to deny him the choice.."

Johnny had a hard time believing his ears.  
"You mean you're going to stick out your neck...for my partner?"

"That's what firemen do, Gage.."

"But we're not in a fire.." he said, a puzzled look on his face. It was rankling him that Brice was looking more and more altruistic and less and less like a rule tyrant.

"That's correct." Brice said.

Johnny squinted his eyes in suspicion at Brice and didn't say anything more while he tried to wrap his brain around the concept of Brice actually taking a fall for another.  
::It just doesn't compute..:: he thought as he walked over to the food cooler for a sandwich. His appetite had returned, almost as voracious as the pain in his stitched up hand. He grimaced slightly when lowering it below his waist made it throb.

Craig didn't miss the symptom.  
"Dr. Brackett told me to awaken him if there were any problems so I'll.."  
and he shook Brackett's shoulder before Johnny could stop him. "get him to look at you.."

"Brice.. Wait a minute we have to orchestrate the whole mast suit thing fir--- Hi doc, uh,.. Marco's ok.  
At least I think he is.. You see, Craig here saw me bump my hand and.  
uh, It's ...it's nothing really, about me, I mean.."

Dr. Brackett was already upright on the cot and he grabbed Johnny's arm and did a capillary refill check on his effected fingers. At the same time, he was studying Johnny's face.  
"Uh huh..." he said skeptically. "So that's why your pallor's matching the color of your T-shirt eh? You know better than to let shock promoting conditions go untreated. And that hand of yours has got to be putting out some serious pain.." Dr. Brackett said. "Time we medicated you.."

"No, doc.." Johnny started up.  
"That's not necessary.. I'm fine.  
I .. I ..I just got up to...." and he hastily stopped himself from saying he got up to visit Marco's medical records. "Because I saw Brice had put him into ma--" Again Gage cut himself off.. "never mind.." he added quickly.

Kel didn't look up from the shot he was preparing for Johnny. "See? You're not even able to complete a whole sentence. Johnny, I'd wish you'd show a little bit more good judgement for your own benefit. So far, I've had to protect you from yourself twice.  
Brice here's cool under fire as usual."

Johnny's face fell at the words,  
"show good judgement" and he almost went apoplectic. "Wait a minute, doc.  
I've been the perfect angel through this whole earthquake thing. I only get a little devil horned about my patients."

"You mean about MY patients.." Kel said crossing his arms no nonsense.  
"You haven't been on duty since this time yesterday. The second you took a header into that cave-in, you turned from Paramedic to Patient.. and into my demenses with me as your doctor. Now argue the fact and this pain med's gonna be IM instead of IV..." He finished, at a firm grumble.

"Ok,.. Ok.. Just.. watch him good huh?  
Can't sleep a wink worrying about him."  
Gage said, handing over his D5W bag.  
"And don't you go slipping a sedative into there or I'm gonna wake up later more ornery than y--" Again Gage bit his tongue.

Brackett glared and Gage withered sheepishly.

Johnny really tried to be obedient, but then his eyes strayed to the mast suit's dial. "Hey Brice.. It's slipped a few psi in the left leg. Here let me just--"

"Ah ah ah!" Dr. Brackett held up an admonishing finger, the meperidine syringe in between his teeth as he cleaned Gage's IV tubing with an alcohol pad. "Not another peep.."

Gage moused down, and sat down.

Satisfied, Dr. Brackett finished his injection into Johnny's IV and then moved on to exam Marco thoroughly. "Brice, I assume the real reason you woke me is this return of the arrythmias."

Craig nodded. "That among other things.."  
he said, shooting a look at Gage as he pushed up his glasses onto his face.

Johnny hung his head down in defeat and sighed heavily in annoyance. Already he could feel relief from his hand's stabbing and he fought the med's grogginess rising up. ::If I can't help out, I'm gonna at least watch. I'll sleep next week.:: he decided. His lurid sleepies washed away.

Dr. Brackett took a pinch of Marco's skin and noticed the fold he created didn't settle flat again. "He's dehydrated. And I'll just bet his hematocrit's sky high. Brice,  
D/C the Lactated Ringers for another of Normal Saline. His pulmonary fluid is less marked. I won't have acidosis set in from having an IV the wrong chemistry. He's now a circulation poor case.." Dr. Brackett flinched when just touching Marco's eye lids for a pupillary check, brought trails of blood from his tear ducts.  
He grunted in surprise.

"He's bleeding from all the IV sites too. Nothing yet from his GI, and there's been no vomiting indications at all."  
Craig nodded.

"Good. Hang in there Lopez." Brackett grinned "You're a fighter.." Then Kel asked his next question, glancing over his shoulder. "Gage. What's Marco's blood type?  
We're gonna need to transfuse him. Dr.  
MacPherson told me that this illness causes consumptive coagulopathy big time."

Johnny blinked.. "Its destroying his blood platelet counts?"

"Yes. "

"A +. I can get a few units off Roy and Chet. They are his blood type."

"Then there's something I'll actually let you do.." Dr. Brackett ordered. "Get on it."

Brice was curious. "Why the free flow hemorrhaging here Dr. Brackett? I've never seen a fever syndrome do this before.."

"Dr. Taylor surmises that the Marburg uses blood splattering through its victim's convulsions as a mode of host to host transmission like the common cold uses sneezing.. This surface hemorrhaging is just the first stages." he said. He drew up heparin from his drug box, a loading dose of 2,000 IU. "Craig.. Who thought of using the trousers? Good call."

Brice didn't deign to reply and he tactfully let the moment slide.

Kel gave the blood stabilizer into the Normal Saline IV. Then started a piggyback IV of more into the bag and secured it with a bright orange heparin label.  
"I want this heparin loading continued over the next twenty four hours. 10,000 IU's a day.  
It'll slow the platelet loss until we get the whole blood running into him from the other firemen..And I want him urinary cath'd. I want to know an exact renal output."

"Right.." Craig said.

Meanwhile.  
Johnny was the perfect vampire. He sat quietly by Chet where he was snoring on the bed and pinned down the sleeping man's arm with a long board chin strap to the bed frames. Then he got his vein presenting with a tourniquet and started up a line,  
running the catheter's flow into a collection bottle. "How much should I draw out, doc?"

Chet was so exhausted that he didn't even wake at all at Johnny's ministrations.

"To first tolerance point. Say, 750 CC. Kelly's not injured so we'll go high. Get the same from Roy.." Kel suggested.

"1500 CC's isn't going to last Marco long."

"By then, we'll have our new supply from the triage station outside." he said,  
looking towards the desk where Craig Brice was quietly ordering some from Captain Stone over his HT so he wouldn't disturb the sleepers in the room.

Johnny got his half liter whole blood from Chet and withdrew the catheter.  
He handed it off to Dr. Brackett who immediately began giving it to Marco.

Gage, patted Chet's cheek.  
"Thanks Kelly.. Sweet dreams.."  
he sniffed, leaving a bottle of 7up by his head. "You're gonna wake up thirsty but it's for a hell of a good cause." Reacting to an evil streak of humor, he scribbled on the bandaid over the cotton wad in Kelly's arm crook. "The Phantom was here.."  
he whispered and drew a smiley face with fangs with an IV marker.

Johnny shifted over to his partner and got as far as touching him when DeSoto stirred awake. "Sorry.. I need to get some whole blood from ya for Marco. His platelet count's taking a nosedive. Hold still." he whispered.

Roy grunted, still very sleepy.  
Then he said. "All right." and he held his arm still, blearily watching Johnny raise and stick a vein.  
"More blood coming on the way?"

"Yeah. Chet provided the first bottle.  
Brice is getting additional supplies from the triage station outside.." Johnny said, taping off the collection tube and mating its business end into the vacuum bottle he had set onto the floor. "You're gonna be a 750." The crimson flow began to fill it up rapidly.

"Make it 850. I'm a big boy.."

"Our secret.." Gage said without smiling.  
"Here.. " and he tossed another 7up bottle at Roy and left him to nap while the transfusion bottle filled. Roy was fast asleep before he could set the pop onto the table next to himself.  
Johnny left him cradling it.

------------------------------

From the stokes Johnny had been using the night before, Bonnie began to moan.

"Oh, I don't like the sound of that..."  
Gage said.

He, Brice and Dr. Brackett barely had time to secure Marco and all his IV's when another earthquake aftershock shook the firehouse.

Dust cascaded from the ceiling in white powdered trails and everyone was jerked awake by Bonnie's frantic barking as the tremor continued.

It wasn't a severe one but it was long lasting and jolting enough to wake absolutely everybody past all hope of a return to napping. Even in the emotionally worn out Chet.

All the HT's on the night desk erupted into frantic communications as individual fire companies checked in with damage reports and new developments in the disaster scene outside.

The earthquake died away.

It was immediately followed with the tones for a four alarm fire emergency through the HT lines.

Captain Stanley was on his feet and running for the shattered garage door, hanging onto his IV before anyone could intercept him. He pelted outside, but got instantly winded before he even got halfway down the driveway so he skidded to a halt, hanging onto the battered LaFrance's driver mirror and waited as Captain Stone rendevous'ed with him at a dead run. "How bad is it? I heard the alarm tones go off." Hank asked.  
Then he sucked in his breath when LA identified the address of the new alarm call through his radio.

"Yep. It's Arco, the refinery across the street.  
A pipe line has been ruptured. There's no telling when a side fire will set it off. I've got my men and half the assignments here not dealing with casualties, responding."  
Stone informed him.

Cap's eyes shot across the triage tent strewn boulevard and he squinted into the mid afternoon sun.

All seemed normal over there. Until he saw a curl of steam rising from a natural gas spire where it shouldn't have been. "Oh, man." he groaned, sitting on the runner board of his battered engine. "If only I had a functional crew, I'd get my men in there.."

Stone grinned cockeyed. "Sit back and enjoy the show. And don't even think about leaving the driveway. I told Peters to slap handcuffs on you the moment your feet touch the road."  
he joked.

"Oh really.." Hank said, grinning back. "Well,  
don't think I'll be going anywhere anytime soon.  
I've got four mother hens hovering over me constantly. Oh look, there's the worst one coming now.."

Brice appeared in the doorway, at a run,  
making sure that Cap hadn't done anything stupid like dash off with a responding engine company. He stood next to Stone and wiggled gimme fingers at Cap to give him his IV arm. "Let me D/C that, Cap.."

Hank didn't understand at first what Brice meant until Stone pointed down to the IV bag and tubing still in Hank's grip. "oh.. sorry,  
Brice. Just a little distracted here.  
There's a hotspot at Arco across the street."

"I know. We all heard it on HT frequencies." Craig pulled out Hank's IV cath and bandaged the site. "If you're gonna be in public view. Look the part, Cap.." and he tossed Cap his overcoat and helmet. "Leave my sight, and I'll come after you.." he said.

"Scout's honor.." Hank said, rubbing the itchy ache where the IV had been. "My head's fine for your reference."

"Yeah? It may feel fine for the moment. Just wait until your shot wears off." Craig said seriously.

Cap's face fell at that prediction and it remained while the two captains watched a worried Brice jog back into the sadly crumpled station 51.

"So that's your story.. What about your man Marco?"

"It's bad, Ben. It's some kind of bleeding fever called the Marburg Retrovirus. Overheard the CDC docs clutching at straws and ordering their team in Mexico to secure female bats of all things. Seems they might have a natural serum to this thing in their mother's milk."

"Air Force in on that?"

"I suppose so." Cap said.

"I'll keep an eye out for a convoy conveying them here.. Anything else you need?"

From seemingly right beside their feet, Brice's voice boomed out. "A + whole blood!  
Remember, Captain Stone? Step on it..!"

Stone and Stanley both looked around in amazement that they were hearing Craig's voice outside when they looked down and saw an HT on the engine's runner behind them, set to two way intercom.

Hank grumbled. "That !.." and he stifled his explicative. "...mother hen..." he said between clenched teeth., more softly.

"Tenacious isn't he?" Stone grinned.  
"When he monitors a patient, he doesn't mess around. The guys call him the Tick for a reason. I'll keep you posted Hank.  
And Brice.. I've got techs on the way with your blood bags.. They'll be there with you paramedics in five..!"  
he said, running across the street and to the scene of the Arco Refinery call.

Mike Stoker appeared in full gear at the doorway. "Cap.. Can I go?"

"D*mn straight you're going..Make yourself useful. And keep me up on a detailed report and I do mean detailed.  
Get in there.." he ordered, and snatched up Brice's spying HT. "Here.." he said to Mike changing its mode back to normal setting.

Stoker grabbed it and took off running after Stone and joined the stream of firefighters and firetrucks, entering the refinery's grounds.

Cap was left behind in the bright sunlight,  
wearing a groove in the driveway in front of his quake dusty engine and squad, as he began to pace with worry.

Birds' sweet oblivious songs mingled with the wailing sirens in his ears and both sounded vile to Hank.  
"Oh, mother of G*d. What next?"

--------------------------------------

Photo:: View through station door of the ARCO refinery.  
*animated gif*: Burning flames..

Photo: Chet lying down on a bed.

Photo: A blood IV bag.

Photo: Captain Stone.

Photo: Building collapses and smoke.

Photo: Cap at night with HT by laddertruck.

Photo: Stoker and Chet in the yard.

Photo: Johnny using his HT.

*  
From : "Cassidy Meyers" Subject : [EmergencyTheaterLive] On a Clear Day.. Date : Mon, 11 Nov 2002 08:52:59 +0400

Offstory-

Acknowledgements to the Modena Intergate Emergency! Equipment Manifest Website for the fireman's courier battalion chief car photo.

.ca/personal/pl8s/

Cap was left behind in the bright sunlight,  
wearing a groove in the driveway in front of his quake dusty engine and squad, as he began to pace with worry.

Birds' sweet oblivious songs mingled with the wailing sirens in his ears and both sounded vile to Hank.  
"Oh, mother of G*d. What next?"

Mike Stoker arrived, and put on his full SCBA gear as he made his way over to the white helmeted batallion chief directing men where he wanted them. He said,  
"Stoker, Station 51, Engineer." the moment he was in the man's earshot. He was slightly surprised to see the man was Chief McConike.

The chief looked at Mike and saw his company HT. "Take your unit to the west end. Looks like the pipe rupture is underground, luckily not under a storage tank. An earthquake fissure's responsible for the leak indirectly."  
The chief wasn't wearing an air bottle, but one was set near him so he could suck a breath or two from its mask lying on the hood of his truck when he needed to.

Mike Stoker took off his mask when a clearing wind blew the mirage like fumes wafting around them away.. "Sir,.. I'm the only one available from 51. The quake took out our station house."

The wizened Batallion chief's eyes narrowed in instant sympathy. "What are you doing here, son? We've got more than enough man power to handle this.."

Mike grabbed the chief's arm. "Please,  
McConike, don't send me back. Hank Stanley's one of those Code I under triage watch. He sent me here to keep him up on things. It would mean a lot to him and the other guys if I stayed."

The chief took in a long breath and sighed.  
"All right. Let me think. Find a place for you, huh?  
I know. Station Eight. They're down one man. He's been sent to the airport to collect an animal or something for a bunch of microbiologists in the area working on a bio-yellow alert situation."

Mike told him more about that. "That's for us, sir. The animals are bats with a cure for one of my crewmates."

"Oh? Hadn't heard much about any situation over on that side of the street..except for someone's HT joke about the fuss that Hank was raising about losing vehicles in the quake.  
Hookraider's got charge over that side of the block." McConike said. "Everyone ok over there son?"

Mike's face went even stonier as he hid his fear for Marco. "For the moment.."

McConike missed nothing. He knew the battle waging inside Stoker better than he cared to admit. Finally, he looked up and met Mike's eyes.  
"All right. I usually don't let lone crew work a scene but if it's for Hank, I'll allow anything. Gotta show him no hard feelings for that hat stunt he did as a probie."

"Huh..?"

"Never mind, son. Get at it.. Round off Captain Stone's crew and head on in.."

"Right.." and Mike put on his SCBA mask again and used his HT to find where Captain Stone's crew was stationed around the leak. "Thank you, Chief.." he waved to the older man. He got a heartfelt sendoff salute in return.

Mike got to Stone's side two minutes later,  
after being pointed in the right direction by crews already on the job assessing the problem.  
Ben was deep in plans of the refinery with a team of plant engineers. When there was a pause in orders, Mike stepped forward.  
"Captain. I'm a fill-in. Stoker, engineer,  
for Station 51." he shouted to him through the breathing mask.

"Drop the formalities Mike. I already know who you are. Everybody on my crew knows each man in your stationhouse intimately.  
We've been watching over your scene for almost a day now, making sure nothing else went wrong and we were the ones who went over your building to ensure its structural safety." Ben said, shouting loudly to be heard through his own SCBA gear.  
"Now, I want you to familiarize yourself with what we got.. Two of my men say underneath that natural gas tower spire is where the ground fissure began. It's still settling in areas and that's how a fireman on inspection found it. His truck literally fell into it last tremor.. That is what ruptured the pipeline."

Mike Stoker squinted up through his facemask's plexiglass into the sunlight and saw three huge storage tanks full of petroleum ringing them in a triangle and a water cooling facility, networked over their heads, tying the three tanks together into a complicated lattice of ductwork and piping, where the blue sky wasn't showing. Hastily thrown yellow cones had been placed beneath the open area, showing the newly discovered patches of ground instability. From the fissure, rising steam rose into the air and it smelled pungently of natural gas indicator even through his airmask's filter.

The earthquake fissure had snaked its way under two large coolant water pipes, just missing the edge of concrete that was the bed for one of the oil storage reservoirs. ::Great, its surrounded by three giant powder kegs.:: Mike thought gloomily.

The place where the trapped battalion firetruck stuck front end down into the ground, was being liberally foamed and washed down to keep all possibility of fire from occurring. Dust was still mingling with the steam from the fissure as earth and debris settled restlessly around the aggressive hose wash playing down into it.

Stoker turned to Stone. "Your man got out of that truck, ok? " he shouted over the noise of steam and shouts of firecrews giving and carrying out orders.

"Yeah, he leaped out the window the second he smelled gas and luckily managed to fight his way out of the growing sinkhole.  
He says our problem's a transverse pipe break through the mother line leading from tank two here, clean, but entirely severed through." Stone replied. "It's the pooling gas that I'm primarily concerned about right now. Arco's engineers are already passively diverting all the gas out of this nearest substation in prep for a manual shutdown to this broken pipe. It's gonna take a bit. Even though the master valve at the top of this stack has been shut down, gravity will still cause the rest of the gas from that storage tank to drain out through the break. I'd say it's leaking around 200 gallons a minute into the ground.  
The capacity of that secondary gas holding tank coming from the larger one, is around 250,000 gallons total. Now the facility designers assure me that none of this gas will leak into the water table because an artficial catch barrier lies underneath this whole refinery complex. It was designed that way for just this kind of scenario."

"Is the power off?" Mike said.

"Yeah. Been so, since the first quake. All the shutdowns the refinery workers have been doing have been done by hand. Work's taking six times longer than normal to carry out their shutdown procedures.. That detail is the only thing keeping us from getting this scene under control as fast as anticipated."

"Where do you want me?"

"Take a front inch and a half with Stubbs. Then you'll get a better feel for things for that report to your captain. Keep your air bottle on. The wind's not strong enough to keep down these fumes.."  
Stone said, readjusting his helmet over his mask.

"Yes, sir.." Stoker replied, rechecking the straps on his own bottle to be sure they were securely fastened.

He ran over through the fire repellent foam and over to the first hose team playing a covering wash over the downed truck and the downhill side of the fissure.  
He tapped the trailing man's shoulder and took his place. The departing man gave Mike a thumbs up when he recognized the Station 51 engineer and gave him an affectionate thump on the back of his overcoat.

Mike grinned, feeling protected and awed once again at the comaraderie shared between their district stations, drawn closer together, in the face of adversity.::And I don't even know him.::

He and others continued to fan a soup of gas hostile chemicals and water through their fire engine hoses into the fissure.

Dimly, through the spray of water, Mike could see refinery workers scrambling like ants all over the piping station over his head, turning off valve after valve, in a desperate attempt to curb the leaking gas below.

In between a fire engine chemical trade off to their water line, Mike thumbed his HT and spoke to Cap. "Station 51, This is Engine 51.."

Cap was on instantly. ##Go ahead Engine 51.##

"Cap. An FD vehicle falling into a ground sink caused the pipe break. It's foamed and being washed.  
But the danger of at least 250,000 gallons of natural gas getting into the ground still exists because the power outtages are effecting mechanized system shutdowns.. Fumes are moderate and blowing down wind away from the boulevard's triage area and you." he shouted through his faceplate.

##Casualities?##

"None so far.. And Cap, on a side note.. A man's been sent to the airport for the bats.."

##That's good news.. Watch your back Stoker.  
Thanks for the report.##

Mike Stoker got a go ahead gesture from the new engine's engineer to charge the hose once more to continue their task. "Gotta go, Cap.  
Let me know what happens over there ASAP."

##We will pal.. Station 51 out.##

Cap's eyes were glued to the west and towards the refinery. "Be careful Stoker. Even fumes are enough for a spark to ignite." he mumbled to himself.

------------------------------------------

Roy and the others in the bunk house were all awake and on their feet.

Chet was right there by Marco as usual and he shivered, "Man.." he said, "..am I cold. Anyone got a blanket?"

Kel Brackett tossed him one, smiling.

Kelly bundled himself up inside of it and crossed his arms together to warm himself when a finger snagged on the cotton wad and bandaid Gage had left secured to his arm. "Hey.. What's this?" He immediately recognized the creator of the sinister smiley face drawn there.  
"Gage..!" he began.

Johnny was showing Miss Thorne where to find shower things and a T shirt and jeans to replace her own dirty dress. "Be right there,  
Chet.." he shouted back from the locker room.

Dr. Brackett added, "Before you go ripping into your crewmate about another Phantom strike. Blame me.  
I ordered him to take blood from you for Marco."

Roy was just smiling where he was draining the last of his 7up bottle dry. "Got me too Chet. Didn't even feel it." and he pointed to his own cotton wadded bandaid.

Chet's eyes flickered to the wall above Marco's bed and saw the blood bag hanging there. "You mean that's my blood hanging up there going into him?"

"Yeah.." Roy said. He wondered if Chet was going to work himself into a faint over it all. He started nearer.

But Chet's face widened into an amazing smile and he said, "Far out.. we're blood brothers, man. We're REALLY family now,  
know what I mean? Real tight like forever."

Roy smiled shyly at Kelly's sense of wonder at a simple medical marvel.

Johnny stepped into the room, closing the locker room door to give Cindy some privacy to shower and change. "Not forever Chet, only for about two weeks,  
until Marco's spleen and bone marrow makes more whole blood to replace yours and Roy's."

Chet's face soured a bit, but the twinkle didn't go out of his eyes. "I'm not going to let you burst my bubble, pal. What I did, is saving his life man. That's cool."

Johnny was about to say it was he who gathered the blood donation and Brackett who actually completed the transfusion but he hushed down, settling for a secondary Chet tease idea. "Hey Chet,  
I know you're cold because I drained out all your blood. Bet you're real thirsty too. Here, have a pop.."

Chet reached for it, and Johnny jerked it away,  
holding it over his head, making the shorter curly haired fireman grab for it unsuccessfully.  
"Come on, Chet. You can do better than that.  
Can't you?" And he tossed it to Roy without looking for him first, trying to get his partner in on a monkey in the middle game.

Roy didn't go along with it and tossed the 7up to Chet anyway. "Johnny. Ease up. Let him bask in the transfusion thing. It IS kinda cool."

"Yeah?" Johnny said, helping the teeth chattering Chet open the 7 up bottle. "Well, I don't need to exchange blood with anybody to know who my brothers are. In this station, we are all brothers. Tied just as deep in the blood as we are as a company's crew because of what we do here." He offered Chet half of his jelly sandwich.

"Amen to that Gage.." Chet said. Then he looked up, feeling that someone was missing. "Hey,.. where's Stoker?"

Cap entered the bunk room just then with a followup about the Arco call going on across the street. "It's official, a natural gas ground seep. A big one underway.  
Mike says it was a fire truck inspector's vehicle that landed on the pipeline during the last trembler, which shattered it."

"Anyone hurt over there?" Gil asked. "You can send Roy, Brice or me if you'd like.  
I've slept enough."

"No, Stoker says that man got outta there ok.. Sounded like he's been put on a front wash down. He didn't sound overly nervous. Seemed like everything's under control. Oh, and he says the bats are here. A crewman from Eight's has been sent to go get them.."

Drs. Taylor and MacPherson both sighed in relief. "That was fast. This is all new territory for us about this female mother bat immunity theory, but even that chance is better than we would have had even with immune plasma transfusions from the victims who've survived Marburg."

Miss Thorne came out dressed in the clothes Johnny had provided and her head was wrapped in a towel. "I'm out.. Who's next..?"

"Me.." Chet said. "I gotta warm up somehow.."  
And he shivered rushing around Cindy in his blanket,  
clutching his soda in his other hand. On a thought, he ripped off his smiley face bandaid and stuck it onto Johnny's forehead with exaggerated deliberance, with a firm smack. "Here. I believe this fangy guy belongs to you.. I know I don't need him anymore."  
And he grinned as he disappeared behind the steamed up wooden door.

The guys sniggered as Gage was left to pull it off along with a bit of hair.  
"Oww.."

Arff!

Johnny knew an amused doggy bark when he heard one. "Quit laughing Bonnie. No more sandwiches for you girl if you keep that up..."

Roy pointed to his arm. "Want mine to?" he said, pointing to his bandaid.  
"Still needs an artist's signature."

"Ha ha.. very funny.." Gage said.

Dr. Brackett looked up from Marco's EKG. He had taken a gamble and had pumped up the last chamber on Lopez's mast suit to its top level. The PVC's were gone. He was smiling when he got up to recheck Cap. "Johnny, grab one last vitals set on Captain Stanley here would you? And I don't think you need your IV anymore while you're at it, too, Gage. You've finally pinked up."

"Thank you doc.." he said, joyfully pulling out his IV.

Roy was right there to put on his bandaid. "Welcome back to duty Johnny."

"You have no idea....." Gage gushed,  
patting the table for Cap to sit on for a blood pressure check. He exuberantly wrapped it around Cap's arm and pumped it up with style.

Cap said. "Hey, am I next to be off medical leave?"

"Give it until nightfall captain.."  
Dr. Brackett said. "I usually watch black out concussion cases for at least twelve hours after the initial injury."

Cap was crestfallen but compliant.  
He sat still, letting Gage take his BP. "Good enough for me. Maybe that gas leak at Arco will be over by then. One less headache for me to worry about.." and he laughed at his own joke.

An HT crackled to life on the desk.  
##Station Eight Firewatch to Station 51.."##

Cap was still encumbered by a BP cuff, so Brice took up the call.  
"Go ahead Station Eight FW."

##This is Engineer Manney.  
I got three squeaking little friends with ASAP shipping orders that I'm to give to you, priority run. I'm almost there. I'm just up the boulevard rounding the refinery. My ETA is one minute.##

"That's great to hear. We'll be waiting. The CDC lab docs are eager to get their hands on em."  
Brice said. "We'll watch for your vehicle."

Everyone in the room started cheering at the good news.

-------------------------------------

Over by the refinery, Mike Stoker noticed a feeling of something not right. He again glanced up above him and saw nothing amiss. But an unfounded instinct made him look back towards the boulevard in front of his demolished station. Then a movement and a glint caught his eyes through his air mask, near the refinery's entrance next to Station 51.

The lighted natural gas chimney antennae tower where the steam had been rising, suddenly groaned in tortured metal and shuddered. Four hundred feet of solid metal and pipes suddenly gave way at the base, like a felled tree, from a hidden structural rend no one had seen.

Soon after, the entire antennae spire began to fall towards the boulevard and the triage tents.

Mike dropped the hose and went running out of the water's spray and jerked his handy talkie to his mouth. "Everybody heads up!!! Falling antennae tower!!!!"

---------------------

Inside the firewatch fire department truck, Engineer Manney was whistling, imitating his bats' animated calls distractedly.  
Then he began humming the theme to Batman the series in a live ongoing patch to Station 51's desk HTs in an attempt to cheer them further with his imminent arrival. "Not long now, Robin. Just a short trip in the batmobil--"

A sudden unexpected shadow over the road ahead of him made him look up.

Manney screeched into an evasive turn to avoid the writhing crown of the refinery tower as it crashed down, blocking the entire road immediately in front of him.

Massive pipes bounced free from the impact along the tower's crushed flanks and a huge oil cap ten feet in diameter suddenly richochetted off an empty civilian car's hood, rolling in his direction.

Manney slammed into reverse, trying to avoid the crushing multi ton disk when the the second spire of the tower landed directly on top of his truck. The fireman had time to scream before more blocks of debris from the collapsing tower finally crushed in his windshield and ripped into his face.

-----------------------------

Chet had rejoined his celebrating crewmates, the doctors and Miss Thorne,  
feeling much better after his hot soaking. He had just cracked his sodden towel at Johnny's butt when Mike's frantic yell reached them.

All heads snapped up in the station and everyone's smiles evaporated.  
"What?!" Cap and everyone ran to the doorway, just in time to feel a great shuddering crunch impact less than a sixth of the way down the block almost immediately to the left of the garage's driveway.

They ducked when metal railing shards began to rain down in the garage bay and onto them.

Simultaneously.. they heard Manney,  
the courier firefighter's batman themed whistling break off into a scream. There was another sharp heavy noise over his frequency and the sound of squealing tires.. then nothing but static when the second half of the tower's top hit concrete.

Cap snatched up Manney's HT and Mike's. "Stoker! Manney!  
Sound off!!"  
His heart was thudding wildly as he ran out into the street with the others into the cloud of dust left behind from the tower's impact onto the road. Cap coughed trying to see signs of any mangled tents or trapped people.

There were none of either that he could see.  
"Roy! Johnny! Gil! Brice! Get in there!  
Chet, stay with Marco!"

Then he started casting about for other signs of danger. Dr. Brackett burst through a cloud of dust and he joined Captain Stanley in searching the area. "Doctor, Stay by my side..No way in h*ll we're safe in this debris field." Cap ordered. "Keep within each other's earshot.  
Let my men search FOR you..They know what danger to look out for.."

The two rescuers began to be joined by stunned but unharmed triage doctors,  
nurses and patients answering their shouts.

Soon, it became clear that only a few might have been harmed; the two not answering hails.

Again Cap lifted his HT. "Stoker!  
Manney!! Report!!"

---------------------------------

Photo : : Johnny takes Cap's BP

Photo : The ARCO Refinery showing smoke and damage.

Photo: Roy and Johnny wearing mask apparatuses by the engine.

Photo: ARCO workers shutting down the gas leak.

Photo: A fire engine at the refinery.

Photo: A rescue squad spotlighting through dust for survivors.

Photo: Manney's borrowed battalion chief's car, lying empty.

Photo: A Flying Fox female bat.

***************************** From : "patti keiper" Subject : [EmergencyTheaterLive] Breath of Life... Date : Thu, 14 Nov 2002 20:32:54 +0000 Offstory-

Acknowledgements to the Nexxie's E Site . For Episode Screengrabs

Back In Story--

Soon, it became clear that only a few might have been harmed; the two not answering hails.

Again Cap lifted his HT. "Stoker!  
Manney!! Report!!"

He was met with nothing but silence over his hand held. Cap let out a cry of frustration and he cast about for Roy and Johnny visually, making sweeps under the choking dust and debris.  
::Where's the d*mned Santa Anas when you need them? I can't see a thing!..:: Stubborn morning stillness remained. He directed triage personnel to leave the area with their patients all the while getting information in snatches from them as they ran past.  
It was confirmed. No civilians were hurt.  
"Roy! Gage!" Captain Stanley called out loudly.

"Yeah Cap?" Johnny shouted, appearing as a ghost out of the dusty gloom,running as he pushed aside metal debris and wiring from the remains of the fallen tower.

"So far, no one's in trouble. See if you can birdeye Manney's car. I'll get people on Stoker's end. They're not answering hails."

Johnny said, "No wait, Cap. Uh, Stone and his men can do that. I really think he's ok. The way he was describing his scene earlier makes me believe they are on the other side of the refinery grounds, Cap."

Just then, Mike came over the channel.  
##L.A. Station 8 and Engine 51. Still here.##

Cap sighed. "Ok...., Gage. Let's move.  
Manney said he was about a minute away from the station. If he had been coming from the airport, his vehicle would most likely be to the north."

Gage, Roy and Cap all looked north.  
A huge pile of tower and metal debris lay tangled, fifteen feet high across the boulevard, almost concealing the roadway lanes. The dust began to settle. Then Johnny saw red metal.  
"There he is!"

Cap got on his talkie.  
"L.A. This is station 51. Advise area units we have a man down in front of the stationhouse trapped in an FD vehicle. Send for immediate assistance.."

##10-4, 51.##

Cap only dimly heard L.A. find a company to respond to his incident.

Johnny, Cap and Roy went running,  
jumping over poles and pipes and ducking under sheeting until they wormed their way deep inside the fallen skeleton of the refinery antennae tower. Gage quickly ran to the front of the red fire department battalion car.  
All of its windows were shattered and spiderwebbed and they couldn't see inside. Gage cracked open the clearest passenger side door window with his helmet as a battering ram.  
"Manney??"

A loud squeaking erupted at his call and something brown burst into his face and clambored out the window in a leap in prep to wing away.  
"Ahhh!!" Gage yelled in surprise.  
"It's one of the bats! Get her!!"

The angry flying fox didn't fly,  
for one of her wings lay mangled at her side. She hissed until Roy captured her and bundled her up into his overcoat and he set it onto the ground. He weighed down the coat edges with debris to hold her captive.

Johnny grimaced as he crawled around the partially crushed aircrate and he saw one more large dead bat lying across the seat. He shoved her to the floor to get to Manney.  
"Manney.. Can you you hear me?"  
He said struggling to get further inside the car to the front seat. All the while the remaining flying fox inside the crate chittered loudly in distress.  
"Cap! I can't get to him."  
Johnny handed the crate out to Roy. "Make sure this one doesn't get away, Roy, it's not injured!"

"How is he?" Roy said, leaning in.

"Don't know yet, this roof's jammed down tight!" He grunted as he struggled to get deeper into the car. Finally,  
he said. "Check him Cap..." Gage said,  
still fighting to get closer around crumbled car roof. "I still can't get to him."

Outside, Cap climbed his way to the driver's door and he, too, cleared away the shattered glass. He saw that Manney was out, with his head flopped back over the car seat, his helmet off.

Cap felt Manney's neck for a pulse.  
His heart just about leaped and his eyes almost refused to see the blue tinge to the fireman's skin.  
"Oh man.. Move him! Move him..! No carotid."

Somehow, together, Johnny, Roy and Cap got him free and they stretched him out onto the street, moving their victim as easily as they could to protect his spine.

Johnny began mouth to mouth.

"Get the gear!" Roy shouted to Dr. Brackett, Brice and Gil running their way down the road. "He's asystole!" Roy shouted as he began chest compressions after tearing Manney's shirt open down to skin.

"Got it!!" Kel said."Keep working him.."

In between breaths, Johnny noticed an ugly spreading bruise over Manney's heart. "Could be out ........because of this blow .........to the chest. Cap, check his pupils!"  
he said tossing his penlight to him.

Cap checked. "They're reactive..Thank g*d."

"All right, brownie points..........for us.."  
Johnny grunted, as he continued to breathe for Manney. " About time something went right.."

Roy paused as he repositioned his hands for better CPR. "Doc, I'm not feeling any broken ribs here.."

"Better and better.." the doc replied,  
as he and Gil got the defibrillator charged and ready. "Move, I'm going Epinephren, IC.." he told DeSoto.

Cap got out the resuscitator and began using it to free up Johnny.

Roy gel-ed an EOA and at Brackett's affirming nod, inserted it into place,  
reconnecting Cap's ventilation valve to it.

Brackett drew out the six inch syringe and drove it deep, releasing the stimulant into Manney's left cardiac ventricle.  
"All right. Roy start up again. Gil, get an IV going, D5W Wide open. Follow up with one amp sodium bicarb.  
Gage, give me the paddles.. Brice, get an Isoproterenol Drip set up. If he's truly cardiac trauma-ed, the beat's gonna be slow. He'll need that drip to maintain once he converts."

Gage called out the wattage coming off the defibrillator. "Ok, one....two..three.  
four hundred watt seconds.."

"Clear!" Brackett shouted.

Manney's body leaped from the energy jolt delivered. Kel quickly replaced the paddles. A rhythm revealed like something out of a dream on the scope. Sinus tach.

"Got him back.. Nice work, all.. Captain Stanley,  
start hyperventilating him. We gotta make up for lost time." Kel ordered.

Cap doubled his venting time rate.  
"Moving to twenty a minute."

As Manney's circulation recovered, Roy noticed something. "Doc, look. Manney's neck veins are distending bilaterally.."

Dr. Brackett looked up from where he was listening to Manney's irregular heartbeat and breath sounds. "There's our reason for finding him without a pulse."

Brice piped up, "Cardiac tamponade.."

"Yeah, but his EKG's looking good. It's solid. I don't think it has advanced that far yet."

"Gonna evac?" Roy asked.

"No, I'm gonna leave well enough alone.  
If his perfusion drops off I'll consider a heart centesis, but not now." Kel said.  
Dr. Brackett nodded when Manney began to breathe on his own under his hands.

Johnny's attention turned to the bats.  
The one was still leaping frantically around the crate mesh and the other one, too, under Roy's coat. "We gotta get Manney and them to the stationhouse.."

Cap comm'd out. "This is Station 51. We need a stokes and two additional men to move a victim. We're 10-20 at....." he looked up to see which building front lay in the street.. "Stoffer's Warehouse by the newspaper stand.."

##10-4, 51. This is Stone. Got assigned your call. I've rerouted Stoker and some of my men to your scene. I'll be meeting you there myself!##

Cap could hear the worry and concern in his co-captain's voice. ::Man, he sounds like me about Marco..::

Soon, Manney was taped and longboarded, IV secured and EKG linked, inside the stokes Johnny had secured from his station squad's rear store.

He stopped Kel as they all got back to the station in an entourage of crew. "Doc. Should we even bring him in here with that virus going on?"

Kel grinned with amusement. "Sure.  
Why not? We've got Batman's universal antitode now, don't we?"  
he said, tossing a hand at the two men carrying in the two screeching bats.

Jamie and Steven met them on the run. "Good. Hand them to us.."  
And Jamie took the coat with the wounded bat, gingerly, while her colleague got the crated one. "D*mn, this one's bleeding. She might not be ok for us t--"

Something dropped out from under Roy's coat and onto her boots. A newly ejected bat fetus.

"There it is then, this one will do us no good anymore. She's just aborted."  
Then the microbiologist's head snapped around. "Wait a minute, where's the third one.."

"It's dead." Johnny replied. "Crushed.."

Jamie MacPherson sucked in her breath in stress.  
"Let's just hope this last bat's intact or there's absolutely no hope for us.." Steven said.

The two CDC scientists disappeared into the kitchen lab with the crated bat to start work collecting her milk antibodies.

Bonnie noticed the dead young bat right away. She wandered over to it and sniffed it, crying. She wrapped around it protectively as if to warm it.

Gage made a disgusted face. "Bonnie..no.." and he knelt to dispose of it into Jamie's pathology cryo container.

Bonnie would not be denied. She went rushing off to the kitchen to be with the other, still expectant female bat.

Manney was moved next to Marco.

Miss Thorne got to her feet. "Oh, is he all right?" she started up.

Chet Kelly pointed to the fireman's EKG monitor. "He is now. That's a good rate going there.."

Then he looked sheepish when all the medics glanced at him.

Johnny was frank. "He's right. Manney's gonna be fine. He's got some heart bruising from hitting the dashboard but Dr. Brackett thinks the injury is minor. We'll know more when he wakes up.."

Miss Thorne moved to sit by Manney's side.

Gage noticed and leaned into Roy.  
"Dedicated little thing, isn't she?"

"Know any teachers who aren't?"  
DeSoto rejoined.  
He left Johnny pondering that as he moved to check up on Marco.

Stoker came rushing in the door.  
"Things are stable at the refinery.. No fire. How are things in here? Got here as fast as I could.."

Cap smiled. "Things are ok. Manney was pulseless for a while but the doc says he wasn't apneic long enough to do serious damage. And we still have one viable bat left out of the three. Cross your fingers.."

Mike crossed them, both hands, and the toes in his boots. "Anything I can do?"

"Not a thing. But, stick around.."  
Cap ordered. "You...might like to stay a while.." and he tossed his head at the group of four medics clustered over Marco. Cap knew a dire sign when he saw it.

Mike blinked. "Uh,, ok..I think I will.." and he sat in a chair to watch and worry along with Stanley.

Dr. Brackett eyed his paramedics.  
"Marco's quit breathing. Someone bag him."

"Got it.." Brice said, getting an ambu with a full flow line running to him.

Dr. Brackett looked up. "Now it's a race gentlemen.  
Can we keep Marco going long enough until that serum's ready?  
How long can we keep up breathing for him like this manually?"

"Forever man. We'll spell each other."  
Chet said with serious conviction.  
"When that ambu's O2 runs out, we'll positive pressure vent him on Eight's O2, and when that runs out, we'll still be able to take turns with us on a cannula, going mouth to mouth from what's left of our engine's O2."

Kel face was serious but he smiled at Chet's self sacrificing mentality. "That last option is a last resort. I'll have no one directly exposing themselves to this Marburg bug unless we absolutely have to. We can always call the triage station for more O2 and maybe they can fly us in a bird ventilator before that happens."

There was a shout outside, "Captain Stanley!"

It was Stone.

Hank said. "I'll be right back.."

He met his colleague outside by 51's engine, and started speaking before Stone could fall apart.  
"Manney's fine. Revived and resting."

"And your Marco?"

Cap didn't say anything.

But Stone said......

--------------------------

Photo: Johnny checking out an out Manney.

Photo: Johnny giving mouth to mouth.

Photo: Johnny and Captain Stone working a code.

Photo : Roy prepping an EOA airway.

Photo : Johnny with defib paddles and Roy with a stethoscope.

Photo: Firemen with a gear loaded stokes.

Photo: Chet looking hopeful.

Photo: Captain Stone with his men on Engine 8.

*********************************** From: "Cory Anda" Date: Sat Nov 16, 2002 3:14 am Subject: Full Moon Dues

He met his colleague outside by 51's engine, and started speaking before Stone could fall apart.  
"Manney's fine. Revived and resting."

"And your Marco?"

Cap didn't say anything.

But Stone said......

"Don't hide anything from me, Hank.  
You always clam up when one of your men gets into a tight corner.  
I'm with you. If there's anything I can do--"

Stanley leaned on the engine, suddenly weary beyond what he could bear and he sat down heavily on a hose port.  
"Ben,..I- I can't fight this. Not any more.  
The whole past two days have been a h*ll of alot more than I , even as a firehouse captain, can take. I -I.. I.  
think I've reached my cracking point."  
Hank admitted, his face lapsing into a very vulnerable pall.  
"That bug is worse than they were letting on. I just left my man in there on the receiving end of an ambu bag and there's absolutely not a g*dd*mned thing I can do about it to s--" and his voice choked off.

Ben took off his helmet and set it onto the engine's foot ledge, and drew Stanley into a tight embrace. "Hank. You haven't been a captain unless you care about your men more than you do yourself.  
And I've never seen a finer man for the job.." Captain Stone released Hank giving his arms one last squeeze of encouragement.  
"He'll be just fine. I've worked with the CDC people before, during that Legionaire's crisis of 1970. If Marco's got a pulse, they can save him."

Cap tossed his head in disbelief, but Ben went on. "Now hear me out. I watched seventeen people come back to this Jamie MacPherson that one summer,  
when by all means, they should have been dead. She was right there, at their sides,  
not sleeping, hardly eating, face glued to the microscope and her spectography gels, until she had it licked. She's like a bulldog with a rag when it comes to these nastier bugs. So have faith in her and her colleagues. I know the methods she uses, works."

"Ben, you don't know the half of it. I heard Dr. Taylor mention some lean odds about getting enough serum to turn Lopez around and they weren't in the double digits. Two of the three bats we managed to salvage from Manney's vehicle are dead or nearly so. " Cap caught himself when he caught Ben's calming supportive nod and gaze. "Wait a minute. We should be talking about our jobs here Ben. Not conmiserating in things that we can't change ourselves."

Stone smiled. "Exactly right. So why worry?"  
and his teeth glowed under his dark skin.  
"Here, put this back on.." and Stone gave Hank's captaining helmet back from where he had recovered it from the driveway.  
"You left it behind going into that tower collapse,  
while running to save one of MY men. What were you trying to do? Break our tie of equal numbers of commendation medals? " and he chuckled.  
"No really, McConike asked me to reinstate you to active duty. Said something along the lines of it being good medicine for the ranks. All of them."

There was a weighed silence as both captains realized just how much the quake had claimed of their energy. And both, just shrugged it off by saying the first thing to come to mind.

"I'd better be getting ..." Cap began.

"...back to work.." Stone completed.

They both laughed, a little more easily after that. Cap raised his HT in salute as Stone made his way across the boulevard back to the triage station and got a returning, "All's clear." gesture back.

Stanley took a deep breath and then went back into the station.

---------------------------------------

It was quiet in the bunk room for the second night. ::Deja Vu all over again:  
Johnny thought. ::Only this time, Marco's on borrowed time.::

His good hand ached from squeezing Marco's bag valved O2. Everyone's did. But no one complained. Gage looked up at Dr. Brackett only briefly from watching Gil's ventilations on Marco. Johnny was in his usual place of the last few hours, acting as sentry vigilant for signs of gastric distension.  
"Doc, any word yet on the chopper with that respirator yet?"

Kel shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Johnny.  
They.....got sidetracked moving out critical patients." he said reluctantly, knowing that his senior medic would react.

"Yeah?!" Johnny complained bitterly. "Oh,  
really? Since when does saving lives come down to a decision based on numbers??"  
He immediately apologized. "Sorry, Dr. Brackett. I'm always edgy when things get outta hand. Especially when one of those hands, is mine.."

"I'm no stranger to red tape either, Johnny.  
But with that modified airway I've got in place, the problems we've been having with keeping his trachea patent will be much less. If his varices hemorrhaging gets worse, I can always do a tracheotomy around any necrotic swelling."

"And what good will that do?" Johnny spat.  
"Marco's got no way of clotting a surgical incision. He'll just bleed to death afterwards at an even faster rate!!"

"Johnny....." Gil admonished. "He can hear you.." he said through clenched lips angrily,  
casting pointing eyes down on Lopez from where he sat, while still keeping the ambu's rhythm of breaths regular.

"I know.." he said shortly. "Sorry."  
Gage left their sides and headed quickly into the kitchen improvised lab and there he sat into one of the chairs, seething with helplessness.

He wanted solitude. But Chet Kelly wasn't about to let his running escape succeed.  
He gingerly peeked around the skewed door's window and knocked, still outside the lab.

Jamie MacPherson and Steve Taylor were oblivious, deep in their work, and neither heard the two men enter in, nor talk.

Johnny Gage didn't even look up.  
"Leave me alone, Kelly. I'm busy.."

Chet's face split into an angry frown and he marched right on in, his earlier respectful shyness evaporating.  
"Busy doing what, Johnny? Feeling sorry for yourself? That rod didn't skewer you anywhere near your head,  
so stop acting like one has. Man, even you've told me a million times never to talk negative around unconscious victims, so why'd do it in front of Marco?"

"Chet, you don't know what you're talking about so why don't you just shut--" Johnny said sarcastically.

"Now wait just a doggoned minute here. A lot of people around this station are expecting the core crew to hold it all together man. Haven't you realized what's been going and evolving among us for the past three years? The station can't work without you paramedics being strong in situations, so just what are we supposed to do when you aren't?" Chet didn't wait for Gage to reply. "The answer is, you don't fall into that trap in the first place."

Johnny didn't reply to Chet at all. He just continued to play with the toy ball one of the kids had left behind on a dinner plate and tried to ignore Kelly to the best of his abilities.

Kelly went on, "Man, don't you know anything?"

Gage didn't rise to Kelly's bait.

Chet was undaunted.  
"Ok. All right.. You don't have to say anything but you're gonna listen to me. ..I'm gonna let you in on a little secret Gage, a big one.  
One that I've never ever told anyone.."

Johnny just tilted his head, not liking his lecture at all and he avoided all eye contact with Chester B.

"I look up to you paramedics more than you can ever possibly know, Gage."

That made Gage glance up in surprise.

"It's true..." Chet said insistently. "I've even dreamed of one of these times going into the paramedic program so I can make a difference out there, too, man. Like you and Roy do..."

"Come off it, Chet. This is just some dumb speech you're giving me to cheer--"

"No, listen. I'm very serious.." Chet said slowly, without blinking, eye to eye with him.

Johnny was amazed that Chet's stare didn't waver nor show any hint of untruth, his mouth flopped open.

Chet didn't give him time to speak.  
"I- I've been watching how you guys work for years, and it just sickened me when you folded like a stack of cards just now, with Marco..on professionalism." Chet had been spinning a coffee spoon around aimlessly and it spun off the table top to land on the linoleum with a loud crash..

Bonnie, near a seated place by the two bats' confinement, barked, sounding as if she thought someone was at the side station door.

Her mistake made both Johnny and Chet break out of their mutual funks and the ironic humor of Bonnie's innocent reaction, made the two firemen, finally, laugh hard together,  
each breaking up into paroxyms of uncontrollable mirth.

Johnny spoke, when he recovered use of his stomach muscles again.  
"B-Bet you won't last a week in the paramedic program.."

Chet spat on his hand.  
"Shake on it.. A month's dish detail.."

Johnny grinned a cockeyed smile and spat likewise in jest and they sealed their bet. Then Johnny's face turned cat with the canary and he said, "Better count on buying the rubber gloves, Chet.  
Cause you just lost that bet. Brice is teaching all the principle courses this year, in the signup program and he's known for a heavy work load,  
hard on study.."

"He is??" Chet cried out, complaining.  
"Aww, man..."

"Whaa..." Johnny said, spreading his hands wide. "Afraid of a little obstacle?"

"Brice isn't a tiny obstacle Johnny, and you know it.. The whole station does.!"

"Shhh.." Gage jabbed teasely. "He can hear you..." he said, mocking the very reason Chet came in to dress down Johnny to begin with. Then he sheepishly admitted. "Thanks for yelling at me about Marco. I was outta line talking like that.  
It's just so,....d*mned frustrating seeing him dying in pieces.."

Amazingly, one of the microscope lit backs turned around on a swiveled chair.  
It was Jamie. "No one's dying around here gentlemen, at least, among the humans anyway..." and her eyes made Chet and Johnny notice the cage holding the wounded bat. Its head was slowing sinking into the clear impossibly limp rictor of lifelessness.

And even Bonnie knew it, she whined and scampered away from the cage in fear at the new lack of warm scent rising up.

It was then Kelly and Gage noticed that Jamie's face was glinting with wetness in the dim lighting.

Both firemen rose to be by her instantly.  
"What is it?" Johnny asked.

"Are you ok, Dr. MacPherson?" Chet asked too. "Don't be upset the bat died.  
W-We still have the one.. Won't she be enough?"

"I'm fine.." Jamie sobbed. "I always cry on occasions like this..." and her tears turned to a small smile of tired triumph and she held up a small pressure syringe of spun lactate proteins. Her grin brightened hopeful, by leaps. "We did it..!! Mr. Gage, Quickly. Go give this to one of the other paramedics for Marco. It'll take two hands to inject the serum into his endotrach tube."

Chet and Johnny nearly leaped across the lab table to grab the tiny vile of hope.  
They both stopped on a dime when their jostling almost upset the grip Jamie had on it. Johnny and Chet both broke into a "no, after you" routine,...until ..

Dr. Taylor sighed and flipped a coin into the air.., "Heads for the curly haired fireman, Tails for you.."

Heads won.

Chet held the tiny syringe cupped in his hands as if it were a fragile egg and he hastened, with care, back out to the others. His body was careful,  
but his voice was not.. "Hey Marcoo!  
Hang in there pal... Guess what we got done cooking here....!!!!"

Both firemen's shadows in the gloom,  
eagerly left the room.

Jamie's head sank onto the countertop where she and Steve had been working,  
and just sobbed.

Dr. Steven Taylor smiled and handed her a kleenix from his pocket. "Knew you were going to do that again. D*mnest thing I ever saw. Tears of happiness,  
heh. Who'd figure..?"

----------------------------------------------

Roy sat over Marco's bed, trembling.  
In his fingers, lay the precious serum shot.

"Don't even breathe..." Kelly said to him.  
Then he caught himself. "Oh, Marco, I didn't say that about YOU.. so keep trying man.  
I wanna see that chest rise on its own half an hour after this cure's in you.." he said close to Lopez's ear. Then he whispered.  
"Even Johnny's rootin for you. He almost started crying over you in the kitchen... "  
"Remember to tease him a bit about it when you snap out of it.. Shhhh." he said low enough so no one else heard.

Stoker got out of Roy's way by removing the ambu bag after giving Marco an O2 flood worth of vents.

Roy began to titrate the serum's amber liquid into Marco's airway.

"Easy.." Dr. Brackett said. "Here," he said.  
"Follow that I.T. with this saline flush. His lungs will absorb it better osmotically."  
And he handed DeSoto a 5cc saline syringe.

Roy followed up. Mike immediately reconnected the ambu and forced O2 flow deep into Marco's lungs to make sure the serum reached as many spaces as possible inside his pulmonary tree. Then he slowed and lessened, backing off once more into a normal vent rate for a light, but firm ambu maintain.

"Now, we wait.." Dr. Brackett said.

Somehow, the black night blanketing the shattered firehouse seemed a little less oppressive to everybody surrounding Marco's bed, than it had just minutes before.

-----------------------------------------------

Just as the new sun was rising over the refinery, Marco Lopez responded to epinephren and soon began to gasp actively, fighting his airway.

Cap thought. "Anyone's guess whose smile's bigger.. Way to pull it off, Marco..!" he said rubbing his shoulder affectionately.

His last sentence was drowned out by everyone's cheers.

In the mean time, Dr. Brackett and Brice concentrated on getting Marco extubated. Kel shouted.  
"Marco!.. on the count of three, I want you to exhale as hard as you can. Don't swallow. I know the tube's uncomfortable,  
but we had to wait until you were ready to go solo. Ready? One, Two..Three.."

Lopez let out a gushing liquidy breath and Brice removed the EOA quickly,  
by deflating its gastric bulb with a 2 syringe and drawing it out with a fast careful pull to not snag the tender structures in Marco's throat.

Roy had a suctioning probe set and soon, he was coughing only sporadically as his weakened muscles decided they could learn how to breathe again. Stoker helped him on the demand valve enough to keep Lopez mostly awake to work out fluid and blood still interfering with good air draw.

Marco's hands finally pushed away the resuscitator a few minutes later. His eyes fluttered open, squinting in the bright sunlight through the holes in the station roof. "Hey, gang. Mama here yet? "he whispered. "She'd better have brought breakfast, I think...I think I'm.. getting hungry...Maybe,, maybe even for some b- bacon...Any left?"

At his feet, Bonnie barked, and reared up on her haunches with her terra cotta bowl balanced daintily in her mouth.

--------------------------

Three hours later, Marco was stable enough to be flown out by air.

Johnny leaped out of the helicopter with a dirt eating grin on his face when Marco's mom flooded his face with kisses for saving her son's life,  
promising a whole year's worth of Monday morning burritos..

"It's the least I can do for the amigos of my Precious Hijo.."  
Rosa Marie Lopez said.

"Hey! I heard that mama.." Marco's voice hollered out before the copter's chopper doors closed him off.  
"Wait on that regime til I'm back at the stationhouse working..! I don't want the guys to eat them all before I get back there."

"Silly boy.." Marco's mom chuckled in a deep warm voice filled with a spanish flavor. "He still thinks Mrs Bandido and I cook on a limited budget. Just wait until I tell him we won de big California lottery, eh?  
Same day as the quake.."

------------------------------

At Rampart, days later.  
Johnny and Roy were telling the rapt Dr. Early and Dixie McCall all about their three day, earthquake survival story.

"Yeah.. when I woke up, I had a rod sticking out of my left hand.  
This long.." he said to Dix, enjoying the willies he was driving out of her.

"Johnny. Cut it out.. Don't you know I'm squeamish?" she giggled.

"You are?" Roy asked., blinking in surprise.

Dr. Early mumbled. "Yep. Why do you think she's at the front desk of Emergency so much? Haven't any of you noticed she only goes into those treatment rooms of people who aren't gushing blood all over the floor?"

Dix smacked Joe good on the arm for letting out her very very old secret.

"Dixxxxx..." Johnny egged, teasing her.

"Shhhh, if Kel ever found out. I'd be mortified.."  
Dixie said.

"Who'd be mortified?" Dr. Brackett said, just leaving an elevator from an upper floor.

"uh, nuthin.." Gage said. "She was actually saying.. "Morton confided".. Yeah, that's it. Morton confided that he can only sing in the shower. So that's why he got drunk and sang to us all on the guitar under the sprinker like he did. He's got a great voice..man."

"Soaking wet you mean.." Kel said, ruefully shaking his head. "I almost had to give him some Narcan to sober him up..." he joked.

Gage waxed serious.. "Wow, you doctors and nurses really throw a wild party. I even think Cap's wife blushed at a few of those dance moves of yours, Morton. Where'd ya learn em? Maybe I could ..you know.. use a couple of them going out on dates and stuff.. Maybe I can finally snag a nurse who'll take me for who I really am, know what I mean? "

Their happy chitchat made the trip up to visit Marco in his hospital room, bright.

And Lopez was very very glad to see them all to hear about the huge Rampart to Fire Department wingding he had missed that weekend.

------------------------------

"And so there you have it boys and girls.." Johnny said, "A dozen tons of red steel and chrome with enough hose power to snuff out a whole three story house fire in just under an hour.." he said to his very attentive Groverland Middle school tour children dramatically. He made them jump by hitting the air horn,  
in its richest full brassy tone."Heheh.." he laughed.  
And they soon laughed along with him.  
"Glad to see you all back at the station.  
Quite a different place than you last left it a month ago, isn't it?"

"Yeahh..."  
A blond boy with glasses pushed forward.  
"Can I see the radio mike room again?"

Johnny jumped down from top of the engine roof and waved Stoker out of the cab where he had been operating lights and firing off that blast cue for Gage. "Oh, hey Robbie.." Johnny said,  
kneeling by the child's side. "I've been wanting to see you."

"You have?"

"Yeah.." Johnny said. "I just wanted to thank you for doing what you did the day of the earthquake. You..probably saved all our lives.." he said, poking the boy in his nose. Robbie giggled.

"I know I did. Lydia Montegeaux taught me real good what to do in ah emergency.." he said misquoting an adverb. "So did Sam the dispatch man."

That surprised Johnny. "Lydia? I know a Lydia Montegeaux."

"She's my best friend.." Robbie said.  
"She's right outside the station right now. She said her grandpa was here with her."

"Is she now?" Chet grinned. "What do you say gang? Should we all go out and meet Johnny's hot date?"

Chet and Marco, and Stoker and Cap all nodded eagerly. And Miss Thorne, too,  
who was a quiet audience.

Gage let the others follow him into the yard. There, he knelt before his little blind Big Brother sponsor and grinned.  
"Lydia.. how come you didn't tell me that Chief McConike was your grandfather?"

"I didn't want to spoil the surprise..."  
she said timidly on her leg braces.  
The sun shining down on her face made her blind eyes sparkle the purest azure blue.

Cap chuckled, lifting Lydia up onto his lap where he crouched with Bonnie in the crook of his other arm so she could meet and pet her. "That was some surprise girly.. Your grandfather managed to buy us a whole new set of firetrucks." and he winked at McConike.

McConike laughed loud and deep.  
"Just wait until you make chief, Hank.  
Budgeting priority reshuffling's a major chief's rank perk.."

Lydia's face was smiling as she hugged Bonnie. "Oh, Bonnie, you're almost as soft as Cinnabon at school."

"Who's Cinnabon?" Stoker asked.  
"I don't remember your classroom having any pets.."

"It does now... Jamie from the CDC flew us in a present last week from Atlanta. The kit from the Flying Fox Bat that saved Marco was ready to be weaned and needed a home."

"He's here. He's here Mr. Gage. I know you'll like him. I know you will." Lydia said, tugging Johnny's uniform sleeve.

Gage started to fidget just thinking about bats. But he didn't let his reaction translate to Lydia. "Well, I don't know abou-- Say Lydia.. Is he in a cage? I think I could probably.....deal with ...him in a..crate or something..."

"Chicken.." Chet hissed teasingly.

"No, just particular.." he said firmly.  
Then he trickled.. "Uh oh......"

Robbie came running, happily screeching around the corner with a blanketed moving bundle in his hands.

Sticking out of it, was the cutest furry face the firemen had ever seen.

Bonnie instantly began to lick the baby bat's face, smothering him in kisses.

Johnny's bat phobia instantly evaporated as fast as Bonnie's maternal instinct had risen.  
"Wow, you know.. I think this little guy'd uh,, this tiny thing'd here, would even look cute under a full moon, don't you think gang?"

"Ahhhhh!! Don't say those two words!!"  
Chet said, dashing off for the safety of the newly rebuilt station garage. "You'll jinx us for sure.."

Laughs.. abounded.

------------------------------

That night, at the newly repaired station house, still smelling of new vehicles, the gang prepared themselves for sleep.

"Hey Roy.."

"What..." he mumbled, flopped down on the pillow where he had fallen. He didn't even bother to take off his uniform nor his blue over coat.

"Think I can sneak over to the phone to call Lydia tonight?"

"You can try.. You know Bonnie'll start howling again when you're more than ten feet away from her.."

"Oh. I know. I'll carry her over there with me.  
That way. She won't howl and she won't be able to take a whiz on the floor again.."

John waited for Roy to reply but the reply never came.

Roy was out like a light.

-------------------------------------------

The next morning, Johnny's sheets were tangled up around him and Bonnie both,  
but Roy hadn't even moved.

Gage's feet hit the floor and he wandered over to grab his partner by the wrist.  
He eyed his watch and then at Bonnie.  
"Hey Bonnie.. Look..He IS alive.." he said to the wriggling, all attentive Yorky looking eagerly in play invite at him. "He's only acting dead to the world. Gonna sleep a week for sure.." And he dropped Roy's hand onto his own face to judge reaction. Roy didn't move. "Make that two weeks and a day,  
Bonnie." A huge yawn split his face into two and he thought about it some.  
"Man,.. Roy's onto something over there.  
I think I'll just.. do ...a nap. yeah. All the other guys are still out.. Think I'll...just,  
close my eyes for just a......."

Even when the full moon rose later that evening, the fates kept smiling kindly on the crew of Station 51 long after the silver disk sank below the horizon.

They got in an unheard of duration of two days on duty with nothing to do but sleep and enjoy yard basketball games.  
At long last..

Bonnie, was the only one unhappy about it.

She couldn't get to Johnny's bunk unobserved long enough, for one of her famous sheet marking territory sessions...

FIN

-------------------------------------

Photo: Captains Stone and Stanley by the Engine.

Photo: Chet checking in on morose Johnny.

Photo: Roy with Marco's cure in his hand, scared.

Photo: Dixie getting squeamish.

Photo: Johnny and kids by the new vehicles.

Photo: Roy with kids on the Engine.

Photo: John meeting Lydia Montegeaux.

Photo: McConike by the engines.

Photo: The Baby Flying Fox.

Photo: Roy and John sleeping the sleep of the dead.

****************************************

FIN

FULL MOON BLUES Season One, Premiere...

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